


Unburdened

by zenmisery



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Everyone Needs A Hug, Excuse Me Waiter There’s some Angst In My Fluff, F/M, Feelings, Good Parents Sabine Cheng & Tom Dupain, Hormones, Identity Reveal, Implied/Referenced Sex, Lila Rossi Needs To Learn Some Boundaries, Lila goes too far, Master Fu Ships It (Miraculous Ladybug), Memory Loss, Mind Control, No Smut, Non-Consensual Kissing, Only Two Chapters Have Non-Con Elements (Not Explicit), Plagg Is So Done (Miraculous Ladybug), Poor Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug), Post-Episode: s03 Oblivio, Sex Talk, Sexual Harassment, Slow Build, They did more than just kiss, Unplanned Pregnancy, Warnings Beforehand
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2020-01-10
Packaged: 2020-12-24 17:54:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 65,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21103568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zenmisery/pseuds/zenmisery
Summary: Post Oblivio. Marinette and Adrien are constantly held back by all the many hang-ups they’ve acquired. Oblivio took them all away and they lost themselves in each other. Now they don’t remember any of it, but there are consequences they have to face.





	1. Not Just a River in Egypt

Reaching up to flush the toilet, Marinette closed her eyes and cursed. This was officially the end of the fourth straight week of vomiting daily.

At first she thought she had some sort of stomach bug and had stayed home from school. When she was sick of staying home only to feel perfectly fine midway through the day and getting progressively further behind on her schoolwork, she decided to go back and embarrass herself by having to occasionally run to the restroom without having asked permission. At first, some ugly rumors had been spreading like wildfire, courtesy almost entirely of Chloé Bourgeois.

Rumors that couldn’t possibly be true.

Slowly, Marinette had realized that if she avoided a big meal at the beginning of the day and instead took small bites of crackers or croissants at relatively regular intervals leading up to lunch, she was less likely to need to vomit in the middle of class. She was still experiencing a fair amount of nausea, but could decide to go relieve herself of the feeling in between classes, rather than have them interrupted.

But after weeks had passed, new and more concerning symptoms had begun to worry her and she didn’t seem to be alone. Tikki flew out of her bag and looked on with concern. Marinette delicately touched her chest for about the thirtieth time that afternoon to see if it was still as sensitive as it had been for weeks. Her breasts were tender and swollen - or had they simply grown?

Tikki patted her gently on the arm and smiled softly, a knowing and almost pained look in her eyes. Marinette silently opened her bag and Tikki flew back in, knowing that it wasn’t the time. Walking out of the restroom with only a few minutes to spare before her next class, Marinette adjusted the strap of her bag so as not to cause more discomfort and turned the corner, only to bump directly into Alya.

“Sorry Alya, are you alright?”

Alya eyed her suspiciously and looked her up and down, her eyes noticeably lingering on Marinette’s chest.

“Oh don’t worry about me - I’m not the one who’s about to get their butt kicked for keeping some pretty humongous things from her supposed best friend!” Alya nearly yelled while poking a finger into Marinette’s shoulder.

“I’m not blind, girl! How could you not come to me about what you’re very obviously going through and how on earth could you not tell me that you’re…” she looked around to make sure no one was close enough to hear as she leaned in conspiratorially and lowered her voice to a whisper “even having sex in the first place?”

“WHAT?” Marinette shouted, attracting the attention of students and teachers who were all rushing to their next classes. A fierce blush spread across her face and she shrunk into herself, trying to make herself disappear. “Alya I am not…” her eyes darted side to side “doing that, I swear. I would have told you.” Alya’s incredulous look made Marinette begin to sweat a little and she knew that being honest was the best plan in her situation. Well, mostly honest anyway.

Reaching out and taking Alya’s hand, Marinette looked her directly in the eye and sighed. “You’re my best friend Alya, I love you and I trust you. There’s something going on and I’m freaking out but I keep just hoping it’s nothing because it can’t not be nothing.” A tear rolled down her cheek and she promptly wiped it away with her other hand. “I promise you, I’ll talk to you about this and you can help me figure it out, but right now we have classes to get to. Can you come over after school?”

Suddenly enveloped in Alya’s embrace, Marinette relaxed some of the tension she’d been unknowingly holding herself together with all day. Alya kissed her on the cheek and squeezed her tight once more before pulling back and fixing her gaze on her best friend. “Of course I can. I’ll see you then.”

They parted ways and the rest of school passed uneventfully aside from Marinette nearly falling asleep in her last class of the day. Heading out the front doors of Françoise Dupont with unexplainable exhaustion etched on her features, she missed the step and started falling headfirst down the concrete steps. A pair of strong arms reached out at nearly the last second and prevented her from falling directly onto her face.

“Nice catch bro, your reflexes are insane.” Nino dashed toward Marinette and her savior and reached out to pat her on the shoulder. “You okay Marinette? That could have ended a lot worse if it weren’t for Adrien.” As the words left Nino’s mouth, several things suddenly came into focus in Marinette’s mind. The strong arms now loosely and protectively wrapped around her body. The firm and pleasantly warm chest her fingers were splayed across after reaching out instinctively to catch herself when she fell. And most importantly, the eyes she looked up into as she felt the heat of a blush and her increased heart rate take over her senses. Green and beautiful, she would know those eyes anywhere, and the only thing making this situation more difficult was the fact that those eyes weren’t looking back into hers, but instead further down, at her recently expanded chest.

“Uh… uh - I’m so sorry, I-I’m so clumsy” Marinette stammered as she tried to regain both her balance and her dignity. “I’m okay Nino, thank you. A-and thank you Adrien” she said as she finally was able to stand on her own and only hesitated slightly before removing her hands from his chest.

His eyes were focused on the ground and he looked more embarrassed than she thought she’d ever seen him, a light blush on his cheeks and a sheepish look on his face. He risked a quick glance up at her and smiled gently. “I’m glad I was close enough to prevent you from getting hurt. Have a good day Marinette!” Waving to Nino, Adrien quickly ran down the remainder of the steps and to the car where his bodyguard waited to take him home.

“Man, that kid needs to be less scheduled” Nino huffed, annoyance obvious in his voice. He reached over to pat Marinette on the shoulder. “You look like you haven’t slept in weeks, is that why you temporarily forgot how stairs work?”

Marinette grinned and punched him weakly on the arm. “I just didn’t sleep well last night, but I’m okay.” She glanced around for a moment before looking back at him. “Have you seen Alya? She was supposed to come over for a bit today after school.”

“Oh yeah - she said she needed to pick something up but then she would be heading over to talk to you so I shouldn’t expect any… anything… any, um, girlfriend time, uh… tonight” Nino finally got out, suddenly nervous and avoiding eye contact. He chuckled awkwardly and hoisted his backpack further up onto his shoulder before waving and starting to walk away. “See ya tomorrow Mari, enjoy your chat with Alya! Tell her to call me when she’s heading home.”

Marinette giggled gently to herself and started in the direction of her parents’ bakery. Alya had told her a couple months ago that she and Nino had decided to take their relationship to the next level, but he didn’t seem to be aware that she knew. It had been something that Alya needed to talk out afterward, and Marinette was frankly surprised she had been able to just lose herself in the moment and not second guess her actions and mess it up. She was one hundred percent certain that whenever she eventually found herself in a relationship with a boy, she would freak about even the idea of having sex with him for months before she could actually do it.

Which made everything that had been happening lately that much more confusing, and especially concerning. Marinette opened the front door of the bakery and was grateful for the fact that her mother was helping a customer so she could be forgiven for not stopping to chat. She waved, quickly mentioned that Alya should be coming by soon, and hurried to climb the steps to their apartment.

Once she was in her bedroom, Tikki flew out of Marinette’s bag and flew anxiously back and forth while wringing her tiny hands. “We don’t have a lot of time, but we need to figure out what you’re going to say to Alya.”

Dropping her bag to the floor and slumping down onto her chaise, Marinette leaned back and groaned. “I know Tikki, but I think we already mostly figured that out. I just have to tell her something close to the truth. I lost my memory when she and Nino were akumatized, and that’s the most likely time this could have happened, if it’s for sure happening, and I think it is.”

Tikki looked like she was going to cry. Marinette couldn’t even look at her, knowing what she wanted to say but afraid to actually say it. “Marinette - I had to have been with you then. I know we all lost our memory and don't know what happened, but I know I would have protected you.”

“That’s the thing, Tikki. I know _I_ would have protected me. I don’t think this was…” she couldn’t actually say the word or entertain the idea. “I don’t think it was forced. I don’t think I knew who I was, like Madame Chamack didn’t during her broadcast, and maybe I just…”

She knew that she had been with Chat. She didn’t want to believe that she would have actually willingly done anything of the sort with him, but any logical alternatives were worse. As far as she was concerned she was a virgin.

She wanted to believe that she had saved herself for Adrien. That she wasn’t actually what Tikki kept saying she probably was…

...pregnant.

Tikki flew over to Marinette and landed on her chest. “I wish I knew, Marinette. There’s no other time something could have happened. I know you, and I spend nearly every moment with you. No one could do something without one of us knowing. It has to have been then. We need to find out for sure, and then you probably need to talk to your parents.”

A look of sheer panic crossed over Marinette’s face. The idea of having to tell her parents she was going to have a baby not only at her young age, but also when she doesn’t even remember having sex with anyone, made her nauseated for a reason other than the recent norm.

“And Marinette? If you are… we need to talk to Master Fu.”

She and Tikki had talked a bit about it already; the fact that she may not be able to continue being Ladybug if she was… with child. She wasn’t even sure if she was, and even if she was would her parents promptly drive her to a clinic to…? She didn’t even know. She couldn’t entertain such ideas if she wanted to keep her sanity. One step at a time. If she was, she would probably have to give up one of the biggest and most important parts of her identity, at least for a time.

“Uggghhhh, how on earth is this fair?” Marinette pressed the palms of her hands against her eyes and Tikki snuggled up against her, unsure of how to comfort her miraculous holder.

“And I know you don’t want to hear this, Marinette,” Tikki paused and waited until Marinette lowered her hands and looked her in the eyes, “but if you were alone with Chat Noir in that building, then you have to know he’s almost certainly the father and you need to talk to him too.”

Of course she knew that. Of course she couldn’t keep it from him. He was her partner. Her best friend in the world right alongside Alya. She trusted him and he trusted her and she would never betray that trust.

She was still holding out hope that this was all some weird puberty thing and her hormones were just making her body do crazy things, but if it was true… if she was pregnant… she couldn’t keep it from him. Even in the admittedly highly unlikely event that somehow this potential baby was the result of an encounter with someone other than Chat, he still deserved to know that she almost certainly wasn’t going to be his partner for much longer.

Before she could respond to Tikki, however, Marinette heard a faint creaking sound and sat up to see Alya poke her head up through the trap door as she lifted it. Tikki had heard her coming even sooner than Marinette had, and had zoomed up to the bed to hide.

“Hey girl,” Alya said somberly “I’m sorry if I startled you. Your mom said to come right up.” She finished climbing into the room and shut the door behind her, a paper bag clutched in her hand. “I brought you something. And I’ll let you explain, but first I want you to use it, because we can talk this to death but it’ll be a lot easier to make plans if we know what we’re dealing with.”

Marinette stood and walked over to Alya’s side, snatching the bag out of her hand. “This is what I get for having a reporter as a best friend, isn’t it?”

Alya smiled, but it lacked the smug confidence it usually would have had. She reached out and gave Marinette a tight hug. "Investigative journalist, girl. Get it right."

“Alya I need you to promise me something before I do this…” Marinette pulled back and looked intently at her friend. “I need you to promise me you won’t blame yourself.”

The look on Alya’s face was confusion mixed with concern. “Why…? I’m so confused.”

Marinette just shook her head. “Promise me.”

Alya nodded slowly, the wheels in her head perceptibly turning, trying to fit this new bizarre piece of an ever-expanding puzzle in. They made their way to the bathroom, where Alya said she would wait outside until Marinette had finished, but she wanted to be there as soon as possible afterward.

Shutting the door behind her, Marinette sighed and set the bag down on the counter. Tikki phased through the wall to her side a moment later and plopped herself down on Marinette’s shoulder.

As she pulled the pink box out of the paper bag, Marinette’s hands began to shake. Tikki nuzzled into her neck to try to offer some comfort. Steeling herself, she tore open the box, reached inside, and pulled out a foil covered pregnancy test and the instructions. After reading through the instructions a few separate times and hearing Alya pace outside the bathroom door, she tore open the foil, pulled the lid off the end of the test, and stared at the little screen that would determine her future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first foray into fic writing. I’ve been a writer for some time and a reader for even longer, but this didn’t go through a beta, so I apologize if there are mistakes. Feel free to point them out, but kind comments are appreciated as well. I feel like the plot is a little far-fetched, but I wanted to explore it, so here we are. I have no specific schedule in mind but I already have more written so expect more soon, I’m writing for fun and in my spare time right now, that may change if I get enough feedback. Thanks for reading!


	2. The Most Sophisticated Piece of Technology You Will Ever Pee On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette gets the results of the test and discusses next steps with Alya and Tikki.

“Everything okay in there? Are you ready for me to come in?”

Alya was clearly getting antsy, and Marinette couldn’t blame her. She herself was feeling like her heart was about to pound out of her chest. “Sorry Alya, I was reading the instructions. Give me a minute. You can come in while we wait. It’s supposed to take a few minutes.” Her voice was shaky, and her hands shook as she stared down at the test.

It was now or never, she had to just get this over with. It could still turn out to be nothing. She held onto that idea; the one where nothing had changed, she was still who she wanted to be, and everything could go on like normal.

She pulled down her pants and underwear and sat on the toilet, regarding the little stick once more before holding it between her legs as she awkwardly tried to position it properly to soak enough while she peed. She watched with her breath held as the test quickly became sodden and two pink lines showed up almost immediately.

No. Nope. She double-checked the little guide to make sure she was wrong. She reached over, grabbed some toilet paper to wipe off the excess urine and clean herself, and stood, pulling up her underwear and pants. Tikki’s mouth hung open and Marinette avoided her gaze and quickly turned to vomit into the toilet, the test still in hand.

She recapped the test and set it down on the counter. After she flushed and washed her hands and face, she opened the door for Alya after Tikki phased back through the wall.

“It takes a bit, so we won’t be sure of the results just yet.” She was in firm denial, positive in that moment that the second line would somehow disappear, or that the test was just faulty. Alya joined her as she sat on the edge of the tub. “I don’t want to talk in here, just wait with me? We can go back to my room to talk.”

Alya, the understanding friend that she was, reached over and took Marinette’s hand. “Whatever happens, you know I’m here for you.”

They smiled gently at each other with looks of mutual understanding and appreciation until Marinette suddenly jumped up, apparently deciding it had been long enough. Alya stood as well and Marinette buried her face in the crook of her arm. “I don’t think I can do it Alya. Will you look for me?”

Too curious for her own good, Alya immediately snatched the test up off the counter. She looked at it, frowned, looked at Marinette, and then back down at the test. “Umm… this says it’s… positive. I’m not sure - let me see the instructions.”

Marinette stopped processing anything Alya was saying and sank to the floor as her best friend started pouring through the mini instruction manual for any reason why the results could possibly be wrong. But they both knew, and Marinette could feel that it was right. She just hadn’t wanted to believe it.

A couple minutes later, Alya sat the test and the instructions back down on the counter and joined Marinette on the floor. They wrapped their arms around one another and cried together.

“Do you want me to go buy another test? Or a few more of different brands, just to be sure?”

Alya was sweet to offer, but Marinette knew it was just a pointless waste of money. “No. Let’s go talk. I need you to help me figure out what to do next.”

Alya gathered up the trash in the bag, the test, and the sulking Marinette, and they made their way back to the bedroom. As Alya found a discreet place to stash the evidence just in case Marinette’s parents came in unexpectedly, Marinette climbed the stairs up to her bed and collapsed onto her stomach, burying her face in her pillow. Alya followed her up and crawled up to lay next to her distraught friend.

“Do you know how far along you’d be?”

Marinette rolled onto her side so she could face Alya and tears were streaming steadily down her face. She looked angry and like she wanted to hit something. Alya had seen her angry before, but this was something entirely different and it was an absolutely heartbreaking sight.

Marinette let out a loud cry and started hyperventilating.

“Oh no, Mari. It’s going to be okay. I’m here for you no matter what, and the rest we can figure out together.” Alya scooted closer and wrapped her arms around Marinette’s small figure, letting her bury her head into her shoulder.

After several long minutes of Marinette sobbing, trying to regulate her breathing, and apologizing profusely for the amount of tears and snot now on Alya’s shirt, she calmed down enough to start talking in earnest.

“I don’t even remember it Alya. I’ve gone over it again and again with… uh, with everything in mind, and the only time it could have happened was when you and Nino were…” she hesitated slightly “...akumatized together.”

“Oh.” Alya lowered her gaze, suddenly ashamed.

“No, you promised. You don’t get to feel bad. But you also don’t get to make me feel bad. As far as I remember, I’ve never had sex with anyone, so I didn’t keep that from you.”

Looking back up at Marinette, Alya seemed affronted. “I think we’re way past that now, my dear. You need support, not judgement. I’m so sorry I made you feel like a bad friend. I promise I’m not still dwelling on it.”

Marinette teared up again at that and reached to hold Alya’s hand.

The bespectacled girl looked uncomfortable and Marinette could tell she wanted to ask a question. “What? Spit it out.”

Alya sighed in relief and briefly considered how best to ask the burning question at the forefront of her mind. “Do you have any idea who it might have been? Who were you with when Ladybug fixed everything?”

Marinette had expected this question and wanted to make sure Alya wouldn’t worry. “I was with someone I trust. Someone I know would never do something like that if I hadn’t given them permission. And I’m sorry Alya, but until I have a chance to talk to him I don’t think I can tell you who it is. Please don’t try to guess.”

Alya slumped slightly as the next fifty questions in her head were wiped out because of Marinette’s silly priorities. “You won’t even tell me if it’s someone I know?”

Marinette scowled at her nosy friend. “Alya!”

They continued talking about Marinette’s predicament for the next couple hours. The emotions ranged wildly between fear, anger, and melancholy. They cried together as they realized all the ways this would change things in Marinette’s life. After a bit of research on Alya’s phone, it was established that at this point Marinette had to be nearly twelve weeks along and was overdue for her first prenatal appointment, and was also past the legal point of no return. Alya wasn’t about to start making her feel worse about not figuring this out sooner, but Marinette felt the need to explain anyway. She sat up in the bed and Alya followed suit.

“I’ve always had kind of unpredictable periods. A few times since I started getting them I went two or three months without getting one at all. So when I didn’t start, I didn’t think much of it.” Alya nodded, a look of understanding and concentration on her face. “It started with my nipples being kind of… hypersensitive. I thought maybe I was about to start my period or I was ovulating or… maybe my breasts were just finally growing a bit more.”

Alya glanced down at Marinette’s chest.. “Well, you were partially right. Even Nino noticed and was really embarrassed when I caught him looking.”

Marinette turned red and apologized for… having breasts, Alya supposed. “Don’t even worry about it, girl. I was looking too. He’s only human and it’s not like he was planning to leave me for you. Your chest is serious eye candy right now. It’s a perk of your current status. A… perky perk, if you will.”

They both started laughing, a different kind of tears filling their eyes. Alya looked like she was about to ask something else when Sabine came up into Marinette’s room and spotted the girls giggling in Marinette’s bed.

“You girls doing okay? Alya, would you like to stay for dinner?”

Alya and Marinette sat up and got down from the platform one after the other. “I would love that Mrs Cheng! You are the best cook I know after my mom.”

Marinette smiled at her mother. “Thanks Maman!”

After a delicious dinner, endless puns and fun stories from the enigmatic Tom Dupain, a round or two of their favorite fighting game where Alya truly didn’t stand a chance, and a surprise dessert courtesy of Sabine, it was time to say goodbyes. Marinette went up to her room with Alya in tow so she could grab her stuff.

“I’m so sorry, I want to talk more and I have a few questions still but I promised my parents I would watch the girls while they went to a comedy show tonight and I need to be home by 8:00.”

Marinette grabbed the bag with the trash from the pregnancy test and handed it to Alya. “Would you mind throwing this away somewhere on your way home? I don’t want my parents to find it before I’ve told them myself.”

Alya was happy to oblige. “Of course Mari. Do you want me to take the test too?”

Marinette hesitated for a moment before ultimately deciding to keep it, and put it in the box with her diary. “I might need to show it to… to the father.”

Alya nodded. “Of course, but listen, you’re so far along already that I think you need to tell him as soon as you possibly can. And your parents too. You need to find a doctor and talk about the long term. Adoption, or… if you’re ready to really be such a young mom. You can text me anytime, or we can talk more tomorrow, but your parents are going to need to help you make that decision.”

Marinette bowed her head solemnly. “You’re right. And right now I don’t know the answer, but I do know I need a day or two to wrap my head around this before I tell them. I won’t wait longer than that though, I promise. And I think I want him there. The dad. Especially because Maman and Papa are going to want me to tell them what I want long term, and I don’t feel like that’s a decision I get to make by myself when it’s already pretty clear this is happening.”

Alya gave her one more hug. “Of course. This is scary and I know you’re trying to hold it together and be strong, but you can freak out to me whenever you need to. Call or text me and I’ll help psych you up for telling them if you need it. You got this girl! And I’ll be by your side every step of the way, I promise.”

After Alya left, Marinette’s parents were headed to bed for their early-morning baking and Marinette decided she would transform and work off some of her pent up stress by swinging herself across Paris.

She also decided to stick the pregnancy test in her bag in case she happened across Chat Noir and she felt bold enough to tell him the truth.

“You have to be careful, Marinette.” Tikki had been explaining the dangers of being pregnant while transformed, as it was evidently not the first time Tikki had dealt with such a situation from a miraculous holder. “I can protect you, and I can protect the baby, but not as easily if you’re reckless, and especially not if there’s a violent akuma. Chat Noir needs to know for more than one reason, he needs to know what he’s protecting, and how fiercely he needs to protect it. Although that’s only _if_ Master Fu allows you to remain Ladybug after you’ve told him.”

Marinette sighed. “I know. I don’t think it’s really safe to stay Ladybug closer to the end of the… pregnancy.”

Saying the word out loud felt weird and foreign.

Tikki nodded. “That’s because it’s not. It’s only safe now because the baby’s so little. But trust me, even in the most relaxed situation, you aren’t going to want to waddle around Paris’ rooftops with a baby kicking you in the ribs.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marinette has a lot of uncomfortable and emotionally-charged conversations coming up - stay tuned!


	3. Atom Bomb Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug talks. Chat listens. Brains explode. Rinse, repeat.

“Tikki! Spots on!”

Ladybug quickly climbed out onto her balcony and swung a couple blocks away before stopping on a rooftop and looking down at her stomach with a puzzled expression. Her suit had always been skin tight. Fused with her skin, really. But now the suit felt slightly tighter around her stomach. Tikki must have made some sort of adjustment.

Making a mental note to ask Tikki about it later that night, she threw out her yo-yo and continued swinging and running across rooftops, enjoying the feeling of the cool night air and the familiar sounds of her landings and the zip of her yo-yo. She unconsciously made her way toward the Eiffel Tower, and scaled the side with ease. As she neared the upper platform, she knew she would miss the sense of freedom she got when she was Ladybug. It was what she wanted to do every night until she couldn’t anymore.

She didn’t want to give up being Ladybug, but without knowing what Master Fu would say and knowing she couldn’t keep this up into the third trimester, her time was limited. She had no idea if she’d get to be Ladybug again after the baby was born, or if she would be too busy with a newborn to even consider it. Was she actually considering keeping the baby? On the other hand, could she really consider giving up a baby that she had with her best friend who had every right to know and love his child? This was more complex than she wanted it to be. She just wanted to let go and pretend she was just a kid for a little longer. Well, a kid with superpowers who saved Paris on a regular basis, but still.

As she flipped up onto the platform and landed in a crouch, all the weight of her upcoming responsibilities and confrontations came crashing back down onto her shoulders as she spotted Chat on the opposite side of the platform, balancing on the railing.

He had heard her coming, and looked up and smiled once she landed. “Hey there Bugaboo. Miss me? Didn’t expect to see you outside of patrol or an akuma attack.” He grinned and leapt closer to her, landing just a few feet away as she stood and tried to look less panicked than she felt. She plastered a look of what she hoped came across as mild annoyance on her face and crossed her arms. “Actually Chat, I had no idea you’d be here. I was just trying to clear my head.”

“Mmmhmmm. Sure you didn’t, m’lady.” A look of smug glee on his face, he clasped his hands behind his back and began walking in a circle around her, his tail swishing from side to side. “You’re looking pawsitively a-meow-zing tonight, by the way.” He winked at her as soon as he caught her eye and stopped in front of her again, this time a couple feet closer.

For a moment, Ladybug considered not telling him. Did she really owe him any explanation other than that she wasn’t going to be able to be Ladybug for a while or potentially not anymore? She shook her head and her eyes filled with tears, causing Chat to wonder if he had done something wrong; if he had taken it too far. He briefly contemplated holding her to comfort her, before thinking better of it and taking a step back to give her space.

“I’m so sorry Ladybug. I shouldn’t have said that. I should have realized you were serious, and you needed…” What did she need? He had no idea. He hoped that one of the things he was saying would somehow absolve him of any part in having made her cry.

To his utter astonishment, Ladybug quickly closed the distance between them, threw her arms around his neck, and buried her face in his chest. The sounds of her sobs and sniffs broke his heart all at once, and no matter his feelings about having her suddenly so close, smelling her shampoo, and feeling her chest pressed against him, he knew she needed him. After a moment he managed to convince his arms to wrap gently around her body and hold her close.

Once her loud cries finally subsided after several long minutes, Chat listened patiently as she alternated between shuddering inhalations and the occasional muffled sniff.

“Ladybug…” he breathed, not knowing quite what to say. “Did something happen? What can I do?” He moved a hand to the back of her head and ran his gloved fingers through her hair. More time passed as they continued to stand there and Chat was astounded that she seemed to be relaxed with him this close.

The way Chat had reacted to her crying had solidified Ladybug’s decision. She had to tell him everything. He deserved it, and she knew he would always respect her and consider her feelings and boundaries. That also meant that she knew that whatever happened between them when they had lost their memories was something they both wanted at the time.

When she finally pulled her head back so she could look at him, Ladybug let out a long sigh and lowered her shaking hands to his chest. “I’m so sorry Chat. I have to tell you something, and it’s going to be really hard to hear, and it’s... it's going to change things between us.” She looked down and her eyes filled with tears once again. “I don’t want it to, because you’re my best friend, and I like the way things are, but it will.” She pushed on his chest gently, separating herself from him and breaking away from his embrace.

Chat looked terrified. His imagination was running wild. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked down at the floor. Steeling himself for disappointment or heartbreak, his eyes began to fill with tears. “Did I do something wrong?”

All he knew was he flirted with her again, which led to her crying and saying things would change once she said what she was about to say. He was aware she loved some other boy, she’d told him a hundred times. He knew she didn’t feel the same way about him that he felt about her, but he hoped that eventually she would see they were made for each other and give him a chance. Now he was afraid he’d messed things up for good.

“Well, uh… you did do something, but… so did I. At least I have every reason to think it was you.” Ladybug wrung her hands and looked everywhere but directly at him. She took a deep breath and bit her lip, willing herself to get through what she needed to say.

“You know how we were fighting Oblivio and we both got hit and the next we knew we were on the roof with Alya and Nino and we don’t remember anything that happened?” She risked a quick glance up at his eyes and saw him wipe away his tears. Her heart felt like it was being crushed. She hated seeing him so distraught, especially when she knew it was her fault.

“Well…” she continued, “something happened. While we were in the tower. You know how in the footage, no one knew who they were or anything about what they were supposed to be doing?” He looked up at her and nodded slowly, looking increasingly confused by every new word out of her mouth. She swallowed, her throat suddenly very dry.

“Obviously I don’t remember what happened, just like you don’t, but we must have figured out at least some basic information about who we were and… and who the other was too.” She was fully fidgeting by this point, not knowing how to hold herself or where to put her hands. She was about to drop some seriously heavy information on him and had no idea how to soften the blow. “Do you mind if we find somewhere to sit?”

Chat glanced around the relatively small platform that wasn’t typically open to tourists and spotted a small bench. He pointed to it, unable to make his mouth form words right then, and they both moved toward it. He watched as Ladybug sat and motioned for him to do the same.

After staring blankly at her for a moment, Chat crossed his arms in front of him, holding his elbows, and perched on the edge of the bench, his fight or flight instinct leaning heavily toward flight. If she was going to tell him she was getting married or that she didn’t want him as her partner anymore, or any of the many awful scenarios going through his mind in that moment, he wanted to be able to run away as quickly as possible.

As if reading his mind, she scooched closer to him and pulled on his left arm until she could reach his hand and hold it between both of hers. She turned her whole body to face him, lifting her right leg onto the bench between their bodies. He relaxed slightly and turned to face her as well, squeezing her hand. When he looked up into her eyes he saw fear, sadness, and maybe hope? Running away was no longer an option.

Ladybug took a deep breath, trying to find the courage to continue in the most awkward and exhausting explanation of her life. “We had used our powers, so we definitely saw each other without our masks. We had to have figured out who we were and transformed back into Ladybug and Chat Noir to defeat Oblivio. But somewhere in all the time between being hit and when Alya took that… that picture of us…”

Chat squeezed her hand again, urging her to go on.

Ladybug was absolutely certain that no fight with an akuma had ever made her heart beat this erratically. She faltered, looking down and loosening her grip on his hand. Chat brought his other hand up to join the other three between them and gave her his full attention. His determination gave Ladybug the strength she needed to continue, despite how hard the situation was.

“I didn’t remember anything about my life other than whatever we found out while we were in there. I didn’t remember about the… the boy I like, or about our history. I didn’t remember turning you down or how much your friendship means to me. I definitely didn’t remember that there are rules about protecting our identities or how important it was to let nothing stand in the way of protecting Paris and defeating Hawkmoth.”

The tempo and volume of Ladybug’s voice had been slowly ramping up, and so had Chat’s anxiety. He was sure this would all start making sense any second, but right in that moment he was clueless as to what she was trying to say. He couldn’t interrupt, it was clear she was either about to say something revealing or she was about to explode, but his tongue was finally starting to untie itself and he felt like he needed to do something.

He watched as her eyes darted all over the place and her lips seemed to move a mile a minute. He felt the occasional almost-imperceptible tug from her hands and could tell she wanted to be using her hands to assist in her explanation. He hadn’t seen her frazzled like that very many times, and it was mostly when he interacted with her as Adrien. He decided to let her have her hands for the remainder of her crescendo and relaxed his grip on her. As soon as he did her arms shot up seemingly of their own accord as she kept frantically going.

“And evidently I didn’t remember about protection either because I’m pregnant!”

The air was sucked out of Chat’s lungs and his body went rigid.

Ladybug kept speaking and gesturing wildly but Chat was sure he just had a stroke, or an aneurysm maybe. Had he had dreams this vivid before? He wasn’t sure, but couldn’t think of any other plausible explanation for what he’s 70% sure he just heard. He’d definitely had dreams where he and Ladybug were married and had kids together, so it would stand to reason that this was just his overly active imagination.

“...ask him what he thinks, because I can’t be Ladybug past a certain point of this pregnancy, and he will probably want to pick either a temporary or permanent replacement for me. Honestly, I’m sorry, but the reality is he might want both of us to give up our miraculous because I don’t know how we can possibly have a baby together and not reveal our identities. We can’t go to an ultrasound as Ladybug and Chat Noir! That would be ridiculous, and I don’t think it’s wise for us to let the public know that Ladybug is pregnant, because that would narrow the field of candidates quite a bit and I’ll be pregnant as a civilian too, so if Hawkmoth found out who I was, our baby would be in danger!”

Ladybug finally stopped for a second and breathed. She stood and started pacing, trying to keep eye contact with him as much as possible, to show that she wasn’t pulling away or refusing to include him.

“That is of course only if we decided to keep the baby, and not give it… him or her… to a family that isn’t quite so busy fighting akumas. Not that we would still necessarily be doing that at that point. I don’t know, and that’s why we need to go talk to Master Fu. I don’t want to presume to know what you think is best, and of course we can talk about logistics more and figure it out together, but we need to have at least somewhat of a plan before we tell our parents. I don’t know what your family is like, but even though my parents are pretty supportive, this is going to be rough on them and they’ll want to know I’m not going to expect them to figure things out for me.”

The last several minutes started to catch up to Chat, and he was starting to realize that this was really happening, and he hadn’t misheard what Ladybug said. Pregnant. With his baby. He was going to be a parent. With Ladybug. Which means that he had had sex. With Ladybug. And he didn’t remember it. He rubbed vigorously at his face with the palms of his hands and suppressed a groan.

“What the f—“

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Ho! Let’s go!
> 
> Buckle up kids. This ride is about to get BUMPY.


	4. I Think I Need to Sit Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat and Ladybug keep talking and get a little closer.

“I think I need to sit down.” Chat said from his current seat on the bench. A moment later he slid off the bench and sat on the floor. “You’re going really fast and I’m really confused, and I know you just said a lot of things but I think I need you to start over from the beginning because I might be in shock.” He laid back and closed his eyes, covering his face with his arms.

Stopping in her tracks, Ladybug looked at Chat and balled her fists as tears started streaming down her cheeks. She quickly stomped toward him and stood over him, a foot on either side of his chest. “Chat! I know this is crazy and trust me I’m not exactly thrilled about how much this is going to change my life, but I need you to get up to speed as quickly as possible. I need you to be my partner in more than just saving Paris from Hawkmoth now! I… I need you!”

Chat had been watching her since the beginning of her short tirade, trying to figure out how best to assure her that no matter what she wanted, he would always be by her side. Could he just say that? He’d already declared his love for her on more than one occasion, and she’d repeatedly turned him down in small and dismissive ways. Would this baby change things?

He knew from watching footage and reading reports out of curiosity that he and Ladybug were the only two people in the Montparnasse Tower that day other than the akumatized Nino and Alya. He knew that no one had entered or exited the tower in the time between them losing their memory and regaining it on the roof. He knew she would never lie to him and say it was him if it wasn’t. He knew that he loved her and loved the idea of having a baby with her, and even though the situation was far from ideal and completely insane to be honest, they would rise to the challenge. Together.

Gathering all the confidence he could, Chat placed his hands delicately on the back of Ladybug’s ankles. When she didn’t immediately protest he slid his hands slowly up her calves, conforming his hands against the curve of her legs. When they reached the backs of her knees, he pulled her carefully toward him, causing her legs to bend. After a brief moment of resistance Ladybug complied, kneeling down facing him, with a leg on either side. After a moment of staring at Chat with eyes swollen from crying, she relaxed, sitting back on his stomach, and leaning forward to rest her head in the crook of his neck, her arms folded between them.

“You have me, my lady,” Chat said softly “you always have and you always will. I’m all in. Whatever you need, whatever we need to talk about and decide, whatever dreams we have to put on temporary hiatus, I’m here to work through it with you.” He wrapped his arms around her as he felt her shudder.

“I won’t say it’s not daunting. I… I’m only seventeen. It’s a lot, and this is going to take some time to get used to and I have… a LOT of questions. You’re right. We need to talk to Master Fu. About a lot of things. We need to figure out the next steps in terms of our miraculous and… telling parents. I want you to know who I am under this mask and I want to know you and I want us to know everything about each other as we do a lot of talking and… I just realized I’ve said a lot a lot while I’ve been talking and I’m sorry.”

For a moment, Chat thought Ladybug was starting to sob again, but it quickly became apparent that she was laughing. She nuzzled her face into his neck, giving him goosebumps and making him blush. He had been intimate with her before, he just didn’t remember it. As far as he knew, this was the first time her lips had ever been this close to his neck, and if his arms weren’t already wrapped around her, he wouldn’t know what to do with them.

“Silly kitty. It is a lot.” Chat could feel her wide grin against his neck, her warm breath tickling him as she giggled to herself. He was just starting to get used to the pleasant sensations when Ladybug pushed against his chest and sat herself up, still firmly planted on his stomach.

She smiled down at him, happier tears in her eyes this time. “But there’s no one I trust more than you to go through it with me. I… I want to talk to Master Fu before we tell each other who we are, but I’m seventeen too. So, you’re not alone in that, and you don’t have to tell your parents you’re having a baby with someone decades older than you.”

Chat smiled back softly and decided that telling her about his Father could wait until after she knew who he was. Nothing about this overwhelming situation was more terrifying than having to tell Gabriel Agreste that his son wasn’t doing exactly and only as he’s told.

Adjusting his gaze to Ladybug’s stomach, he noticed now that she was slightly rounded out compared to the toned abdomen he was used to. He had noticed a gradual increase in the size of her chest over the last few weeks - a theme, it seemed, in the girls he regularly interacted with. For whatever reason, he hadn’t noticed any other changes in her until then.

Chat mindlessly reached out a hand to touch her stomach before catching himself and looking to Ladybug for permission. After a few seconds of consideration, she took both of his hands and brought them to rest on her abdomen. There wasn’t really anything to feel yet, but the moment was filled with emotion for them both. A first step toward something more than just fear and apprehension regarding the baby.

Several minutes passed with them just enjoying the silence and the increased bond they now shared before Ladybug stood without warning, leaving Chat feeling cold in her absence. She stepped to one side of him and offered him a hand. Happily taking it, he rose to his feet as well. Before he could even get his legs properly underneath him, Ladybug leaned forward and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

“I’m glad it’s you, Chat. I need you to know that. I’m scared and worried and we have a million things to figure out, but if I have to do this…” she promptly discarded the image of Adrien that popped into her mind in that moment “I’m glad I’m doing it with my best friend. Now what do you say we go see Master Fu?”

Properly righting himself, Chat blushed again and nodded, smiling at her once more. He was still pretty sure he was in shock. The deluge of new revelations and changes was obscuring his thoughts, but hadn’t quite sunk in yet. He knew that seeing Master Fu as soon as possible was the quickest way to finally know who Ladybug was. It was something he had wanted for years, and even though it was one more huge reveal on a pile of that evening’s huge revelations, it was one he had been quite literally dreaming about for years. He wasn’t about to delay it another second.

As they approached the edge of the platform and prepared to jump off, Chat suddenly tightened his grip on her hand and stopped. “Hey, is this safe? I know jumping off of buildings is pretty normal for us, but does it put the baby at risk?” He looked pleadingly into her eyes, fear suddenly gripping his heart.

Ladybug smiled softly, his concern for her and for their unborn child making her feel warm. “It is. For now at least. Tikki told me that she can protect the baby for a while longer, but I won’t be able to keep it up later in the pregnancy, and I have to be especially careful when fighting akumas.”

Chat nodded slowly, then brought her hand up so he could kiss it. “I just need to know that you’re safe. That you’re both safe. I promise I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you, my lady.” His intense gaze bore into her, the seriousness of his words apparent in his tone.

When Ladybug stepped forward and embraced him it no longer felt like a shock. It felt natural. Needed, even. They held each other for a moment before she stepped back and gently clasped his hands. “I know you will, kitty. You always have.”

With that, she promptly jumped up onto the railing and dove off the side of the Eiffel Tower. Chat blinked for a moment before grinning and quickly leaping after her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Definitely a shorter chapter this time, but the end felt like such a natural stopping point. Hopefully you agree! I’ll make it up to you next chapter I promise - more feelings and awkward conversations ahead!


	5. Who Wants Tea?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Assumptions are made (to be broken). Fu is tired. Plagg can be nice once he’s properly fed.

Nino sat on the edge of Alya’s bed, pulling his jeans onto his legs. “Come on babe, I know it wasn’t nothing. I can tell when you’re dying to tell me something.” He stood and finished hoisting up his pants before affixing the button and sitting back down next to Alya. “You looked like you were about to explode when I got here, and you still do even after I rocked your world.”

Alya rolled her eyes and tugged on the collar of Nino’s shirt until she could kiss him. “You’re incorrigible. And you’re going to get crushed if you’re still here when Nora gets home. She likes you, but she likes kicking the butt of anyone who messes with her little sisters way more. She’ll be home in less than half an hour.”

Gulping at the thought, Nino considered his options before he sat cross-legged, facing his girlfriend with a determined look on his face. “I’ll leave as soon as you’ve told me why you were at Marinette’s for so long, and why you came home looking like the cat that ate the canary.” He leaned closer and grinned. “You know you wanna tell me.”

Alya leaned away from him and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about. Marinette and I had a lovely chat and then enjoyed dinner and Ultimate Mecha Strike III with her parents. Nothing more.” She hoped the look on her face was innocent as she avoided his gaze.

“You are so transparent, babe. I can read you like a book.” He pulled her close to kiss her once more and smiled. “Fine, keep your secrets, but I don’t see what the big deal is. It’s not like whatever you tell me is going to be as bad as what Chloé and Lila have been spreading.”

Alya gasped almost silently. Almost. She tried to play it off by smiling and denying, but her heart wasn’t in it. As much as she didn’t want to tell Nino the news she should let Marinette tell, she also was desperate to talk about it with her boyfriend. When Nino’s eyes went wide with shock, and he looked at her questioningly, she shrugged gently and looked down.

“WHAT!? Marinette’s actually PREGNANT?” Nino was suddenly up on his knees, his hands pressed to either side of his face. Alya pulled him down forcefully and slapped a hand over his mouth.

“Are you crazy? Be quiet - you’ll wake the twins and no one else needs to know before Marinette’s ready to tell them.” She cringed and cursed. “You shouldn’t even know! Ugh!” She released him and covered her face with her hands. “ Promise me you won’t say anything. To ANYONE. Not even Marinette until she herself gives the go ahead.”

Nino nodded, still looking taken aback. Alya thrust a pointed finger into his face, poking his nose. “I mean it, Nino. No one. Not Adrien, not anyone.”

Eyes wide once more, Nino laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. “What if Adrien… is the dad? I saw him staring at her boobs after school today and when he saw that I saw he started blushing and practically ran. Do you think they’ve been hiding some sort of secret affair from us all this time?”

Alya looked sheepish and shook her head. “No, Marinette could never keep something like that quiet, and… well… there’s something else.” She laid down next to Nino and turned toward him. “It’s kind of… our fault. She doesn’t remember having sex - she thought she was a virgin until she started puking her guts out on a daily basis.”

Nino looked at her incredulously, not quite comprehending.

“It happened when we were akumatized together. She got hit, didn’t know who she was, and she slept with the guy she was with, I guess. I know it sounds crazy, but I believe her. She doesn’t remember being with anyone else, ever.”

As he sat up on the bed and grabbed his previously discarded hat from the floor, Nino shook his head. “Poor Mari. That’s nuts.” He pulled his hat onto his head and then turned to face Alya once more. “But that still doesn’t rule out Adrien. Did she say who she was with?”

Alya shook her head and reached out to hold his hand. “No, she said she wanted to talk to him first before she told me. But Nino? I feel horrible. This wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t let ourselves be akumatized.” She sighed and her eyes filled with tears. “Our first time was so special and private and I would be devastated if I didn’t even remember it and hadn’t chosen it with a full knowledge of who I was and everything I’ve been through. Can you even imagine?”

Nino squeezed her hand and looked down. “Not really, but it sounds harsh. I feel bad too. Are you sure we can trust that this guy didn’t just take advantage? Because Marinette is family and I’d throat punch him if I had to.”

“You’d have to get in line. You know I’d have my girl’s back. But she said she trusts him, so we just have to trust her.” Alya smiled sadly. “We have to be there for her; support her unconditionally. You in?”

Leaning in and kissing Alya one more time, Nino grinned. “Of course. Anything for our little girl, Marinette. She’s growing up so fast. We’re such great parents.” They both laughed until Alya roughly jabbed him in the side.

“I’m serious though Nino - one word and this’ll get ugly. Now get out of here before you’re caught in here with me still half naked. And be quiet on your way out!”

Nino pulled on his shoes, grabbed his other belongings, and lifted up the blanket to take one last look at her half-nakedness, earning him a swift smack on the arm. Alya pulled back a fist and glared while smirking.

“Alright alright, I’m going” he said lazily. “We can talk more about this tomorrow. I love you.”

“I love you too, you nerd.”

* * *

Chat Noir and Ladybug stood grinning at each other right outside Master Fu’s door, the latter having won their race there. They were trying to stay quiet so as not to attract attention to the fact that two superheroes were paying a visit to an elderly civilian at nine-thirty at night.

“I hope we’re not waking him up” Ladybug whispered, reaching out to take Chat’s hand “I didn’t realize how late it was already.” The seriousness of the conversation they were about to have was dawning on both of them, and their smiles faltered, giving way to looks of concern and determination. Chat shrugged and knocked gently on the door.

“Only one way to find out.”

A short wait later, Master Fu opened the door carefully and peeked out. When he realized it was them, he pulled the door the rest of the way open and ushered them in quickly.

He glanced to each side outside his door before shutting and locking it. “Ladybug, Chat Noir… what are you doing here? Is everything alright? Is there an akuma?” He was wearing what looked to be his pajamas and a moment later Wayzz flew over to hover near Master Fu’s shoulder, nodding in greeting.

“No Master, there’s no akuma, but we need to speak with you. We’re sorry if we woke you.” Ladybug tugged Chat to her side, wanting them to present a united front. Chat raised his arm and scratched at the back of his head, feeling awkward all of a sudden.

“No apologies necessary you two. Please, sit.” Fu gestured toward the floor next to his small coffee table and sat across from them. As the two superheroes joined him, he exchanged a knowing look with Wayzz. “I think I know why you’re here.”

“You do?!” Ladybug and Chat said in unison.

Master Fu stroked his beard before folding his arms and bowing his head in reverent consideration. “I knew from the very beginning that the two of you were made for each other. I’m not the least bit surprised to see that you’re now falling in love.”

Both Chat and Ladybug’s mouths dropped open, blushes spreading quickly on each of their faces. Chat tentatively turned his head toward Ladybug to gauge her reaction, as she looked everywhere but at him.

“Uh… umm.. no, it’s not… I mean…” she stammered, shaking her hands in front of her in a gesture that begged Master Fu not to think such things and crushed Chat’s heart a little. “We came to tell you I might need a replacement for a while, because…” Ladybug took a deep breath, ramping herself up for another lengthy explanation, her mind going a mile a minute. “I started getting sick about a month ago and Tikki told me what it probably meant but I had never done anything to make that possible that I knew of and then my best friend noticed so she made me take a test and… and, uh—“

Chat reached over and grabbed her flailing arm, stopping her mid-sentence. He could see she was riling herself up over this and wanted to save her the stress. “What Ladybug’s trying to say is that she’s pregnant.” Master Fu and Wayzz shared a stunned expression and it was their turn for their mouths to hang open.

“It happened while we were without our memories in the Montparnasse Tower before we defeated Oblivio. Clearly she won’t be able to continue fighting akumas soon, and we don’t want the public to figure out who she is when both she and her civilian self are pregnant at the same time. She’ll need either a temporary or permanent replacement, depending on your decision. Though no matter what you decide, we’re expecting a baby together, and we have to reveal our identities to one another.”

Ladybug was impressed but looked incredibly uncomfortable and rubbed her arms in an effort to self-soothe. “We… we didn’t know what we were putting at risk since we didn’t know who we were. I promise I wouldn’t have risked my ability to protect Paris if I had remembered who I was.”

Master Fu nodded fervently, lost in contemplation. After a few minutes of the four of them sitting silently, Fu stood and walked toward his kitchen. “Who wants tea?” He and Wayzz disappeared through the doorway and Chat and Ladybug were left alone.

Another minute passed and Ladybug turned toward Chat. “Thank you. For taking over. This has been such an overwhelming day.” She looked up into his eyes and was surprised to see him already smiling.

“I know,” he said simply, “and this is going to sound hypocritical coming from me, but I think we’ve both had enough for one day and we should give ourselves a night before we tell each other who we are.” He offered her his hand and she took it, grateful for his consideration of her feelings. Ladybug was still scared that she wouldn’t be allowed to continue being Ladybug once she wasn’t pregnant anymore, but she was thankful Chat was being so supportive and was feeling more at ease.

Chat on the other hand was internally freaking out. He wouldn’t tell her, he didn’t want to cause her more anxiety than necessary, but the list of things on his mind was a mile long.

He worried that when she found out who he was she would be put off by the idea of dating someone famous. He was terrified that alternatively she would agree to be with him only because he was famous and not because she actually liked him. He couldn’t forget that the boy she said she loved was still out there, and if this mystery boy accepted her even though she was having someone else’s baby, he’d be a third wheel in his own family with the love of his life.

Chat squeezed Ladybug’s hand and then let it go as Master Fu and Wayzz came back into the room. Fu set down the tray he was carrying and poured three cups of tea, then handed Ladybug and Chat their cups. Sitting, he picked up his own cup and took a sip before closing his eyes and sighing.

“The situation is unexpected, but this child is a blessing, and must be your first priority.” He opened his eyes and set his cup on the table. “Ladybug, we all know how seriously you take your position as a miraculous holder, so the decision whether or not you will be Ladybug again will have to be an ongoing conversation. I’d like to speak with Tikki and Plagg about this, but I won’t rush you to reveal your identities to one another. Once you’ve taken the time to do so, you should return as your civilian selves so we can all discuss how to move forward.”

“Do you have someone in mind for who could step in for you as the holder of the ladybug miraculous?” Wayzz asked, flying closer to Ladybug.

“Rena Rouge. She’s already familiar enough with fighting akumas that I won’t have to worry about whether or not she can hold her own.” She looked at Chat and smiled. “And I trust that she’ll work well with Chat and will understand when she eventually has to give it up. She’s already been giving back the fox miraculous every time we need her.”

Wayzz and Fu nodded in agreement. “Very well. Once Tikki decides it’s no longer safe, you will give your miraculous to her in a way that protects your identity and explain that it is likely temporary. Tikki has been in this situation before with previous bearers of the ladybug miraculous, so I trust that she knows when the appropriate time will be.”

They all stood and Chat and Ladybug walked toward the door. As Ladybug stepped outside, Chat stopped and turned to face Master Fu. “Thank you. For understanding, and for being supportive. Neither of us planned for this, obviously, and I know it’ll make things more complicated, but you can trust us to protect our identities and each other.”

Fu simply nodded, ushering him out toward Ladybug. “I expect I’ll see you both very soon, so it’s time to let an old man get some rest. Goodnight to both of you.” He shut the door and locked it before either of them could say another word.

Ladybug looked relieved as they both walked a safe distance away from Fu’s door. She smiled at Chat and let out a heavy sigh. “That was much less scary than I thought it would be. I think everything’s going to be okay Chat. Are you still okay with waiting until tomorrow?”

Chat nodded, pulling out his baton and readying himself to head home. “Absolutely. I think we could both use a good night’s sleep and a semi-normal day before we let the cat out of the bag.” He grinned, feeling a bit more like himself.

Instead of her normal eye roll or scowl, Chat was surprised to instead receive a playful smirk and a gentle shove on his shoulder. He was quite pleased with the physical interactions he and Ladybug had shared that day. It seemed like she was warming up to the idea of being closer to him after having to face the truth of their forgotten intimate moments. He blushed at the thought, and was glad for the darkness and its ability to obscure the color of his cheeks.

“I have school, and kind of a crazy day, but can we meet at about the same time we did today, Eiffel Tower again?”

Ladybug considered, then nodded. “We can meet there, but I think I’ll take you somewhere less public for us to detransform. You’ll have to just trust me.”

With a wink and a tip of his head, Chat grinned. “Of course, Bugaboo. I trust you more than anyone. Have a good night!”

She blushed, wondering if that charm of his was what won her over in the tower. She quickly dismissed the thought and, waving, threw out her yo-yo and swung off toward her balcony.

* * *

Several minutes later, Chat dropped in through his own bedroom window and collapsed onto the sofa.

“Plagg - claws in” he said, positively exhausted.

“Finally!” Plagg whined “I thought you’d talk about your ridiculous feelings forever! You owe me a mountain of cheese for that!” Adrien simply raised his hand and pointed toward the cabinet where he kept the majority of the Camembert. Plagg promptly flew over and helped himself.

A few minutes later, Plagg landed on Adrien’s stomach, his belly bulging. Popping one last wedge of cheese into his mouth, he looked over to where Adrien was staring at the ceiling, his gaze unfocused and watery. “Alright, let’s get this over with. I know you want to talk, so I’ll listen if I must.”

Adrien scoffed and wiped at his wet eyes. “Gee thanks Plagg. You’re so generous.” He rolled his eyes and sighed. “I’m scared. Ladybug has never loved me, she’s always rejected me. Today we shared some of the most intimate moments we ever have… that we remember anyway… and still it feels like it’s not about me. It seems like she feels obligated to get closer to me because we’re having a baby together, and not because she wants to. I want it to be her choice, not her obligation.” He ran his fingers through his hair, tears returning to his eyes.

Plagg sighed. “Kid, listen. This is a good thing. You’re getting what you wanted. You and Ladybug are going to be bonding over this baby thing and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get closer.” He flew up and hovered in front of Adrien’s face so he could properly look him in the eye. “And honestly, I think a lot of the worries you have about her loving you for you will go away once you both reveal your secret identities. I don’t know why you didn’t just do it tonight, you torture yourselves so unnecessarily. It’s exhausting.”

Adrien smiled gratefully at Plagg and sat up. “You’re right, Plagg. I shouldn’t worry too much. Ladybug trusts me, and I just have to get through one more day before we can finally know each other.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Foreboding much?
> 
> So sorry for the delay on this one - I got hit by a fever out of nowhere and couldn’t focus enough to keep writing, much less edit what I’d already written. I’m feeling better now, so hopefully it doesn’t knock me out again.


	6. The Game is Afoot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Master Fu makes some concessions. Alya is a good investigative journalist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who are still confused about the timeline - for this and any other story I write in the future, I will be going by production order for season 3 (and potentially future seasons as well if they mix them up like this again). That means that in addition to the events of seasons 1 and 2, the events I’m taking into account from season 3 are from, in order:
> 
> Chameleon  
Animaestro  
Bakerix  
Backwarder  
Reflekdoll  
Weredad  
Silencer  
Oni-chan  
Miraculer  
Oblivio
> 
> For the sake of simplification, I will not be addressing events from any episodes past this point, and will simply consider this an alternate timeline.

Master Fu stood and stretched, the last few hours of middle-of-the-night conversation having taken a toll on his aching joints. He watched as Tikki, Plagg, and Wayzz zipped around the room after each other and smiled.

“You’d better get back to them before they realize you’re missing. I think we’ve discussed everything there is to discuss, at least until we find out how their parents handle the situation. Just be ready to intervene, Tikki. And keep a close eye on them, both of you.”

Tikki and Plagg both nodded, the three kwamis having stopped to listen to what Fu was saying. A moment later they both phased out of the room in different directions.

As Fu started walking toward his bedroom, Wayzz followed, hovering near his shoulder. “Master, I worry we are putting much at risk by potentially allowing so many to know their identities.”

Fu nodded and shimmied his feet out of his slippers. “I do too Wayzz, but there is still hope that it won’t be necessary. I have to believe that Tikki and Plagg know who we can trust and who we cannot.” He lifted his blanket and crawled into bed. “Now it really is time for this old man to get some rest.”

Wayzz nodded, still looking every bit as worried as he had previously.

* * *

Marinette groaned and groped around her bed blindly, searching for her ringing phone. When she found it she blearily looked at the screen and, after blinking to clear her vision, noticed it was Alya calling. Answering, she slowly lifted the phone to her ear and winced as the cool glass touched her face.

“Hello?” Tikki flew over to her just then and Marinette held a finger to her lips to tell her to stay silent.

“Marinette! Were you still asleep? Wake up girl, I’m almost to you and I’m bringing food, I want to talk before we head to school.”

Marinette whined quietly and forced herself to sit up. “I’m getting out of bed, Alya. Just head up when you get here.” She hung up before casting her blanket aside and sliding to the edge of her bed, dangling her legs down onto the steps leading down to her bedroom proper. “Sorry Tikki, We’ll have to talk later.”

It must have taken her longer to do than she had thought, because immediately after, Alya pushed her way through the trap door leading to Marinette’s bedroom. Tikki quickly flew out of sight, positioning herself to watch. Alya grinned when she spotted her best friend’s sleepy form.

“Well, almost out of bed anyway.” Alya winked. “Come down here, my mom made us a delicious breakfast and your mom gave me a couple fresh croissants to go with.”

That was all Marinette needed, the smell of food made by none other than Marlena Césaire too enticing to ignore. She climbed down quickly and she and Alya sat on the chaise, the latter pulling plastic containers and cutlery out of a bag and arranging everything between them.

Grateful and ravenous after the previous day of worrying instead of eating, Marinette dug into what had to be one of the best breakfasts she’d ever had. She’d eaten half of her meal before looking up and seeing Alya looking amused. “Sorry. You said you wanted to talk and I’m just stuffing my face.”

Alya giggled and shrugged. “You’re eating for two, it was bound to happen. It’s okay, we can eat and then talk.”

They sat in silence for a while as Marinette decided to forego all etiquette and wolf down her food. Alya stopped eating and closed her container as soon as she noticed Marinette had finished. She hoped she was playing it off well, but she was absolutely dying to ask questions.

Marinette wiped her mouth and gathered up her trash. Sighing, she patted her belly and smiled at Alya. “You are the best and I love you, thank you so much for bringing breakfast.”

Alya grinned conspiratorially and leaned forward. “If only you could say that you love Adrien so easily.”

Marinette nearly choked and immediately started blushing. “Alya! I’m not exactly in a position to… he wouldn’t want… I can’t expect…”

Alya raised an eyebrow and wondered how each of those sentences would have ended. “Sorry girl, force of habit. So… you’re saying it wasn’t Adrien?”

Marinette sat up straight and eyed Alya suspiciously. “I see, you’re just trying to get a name out of me, aren’t you?” At the sight of Alya’s sheepish shrug she sighed, knowing full well she had promised to tell her after she had spoken to Chat. “I talked to him, last night. But I’m sorry, I have to make you wait a little longer. We uh… we only talked on the phone and we’re going to talk in person today. I’ll call you after, okay?”

Alya crossed her arms and sighed. “Fine, that’s fair.” Her expression softened and she moved the food containers to the floor so she could scoot closer to her best friend. “Are you alright after sharing that with him? That had to have been scary. How did he react?”

“Surprisingly well, actually.” The corners of her mouth turned upward as she remembered Chat holding her, and the relief she felt when he wasn’t angry and didn’t pull away. “He was shocked at first, of course, but ultimately he held.. uh… he held it together and promised to be there for me no matter what.”

Alya leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Marinette. “I’m so glad Mari! That was the first huge hurdle and it couldn’t have gone better!” She pulled back and smiled, regarding Marinette with a look of concern. “Are you happy? Is this someone you want to be with, or would he just be loosely involved?”

Suddenly looking sad and confused, Marinette looked down and completely missed Tikki behind Alya’s head, waving her tiny arms trying to stop this before it went too far. “I never really thought of him that way before, but after the way he responded, I can’t help but think that maybe I should give it a try, and see if we could make it work.” Tikki hung her head and flew back to her hiding spot.

Alya fought the wide grin that was threatening to break out across her face. She knew it was a bit of a dirty trick, but her curiosity won out, and now she could confirm that Adrien was definitely not the father of Marinette’s baby. Plastering an understanding smile on her face, she put a hand on her friend’s shoulder and squeezed. “I’m sorry Mari. I’m sure it would be easier if it were someone you already had feelings for.”

Marinette’s eyes widened and she stared at Alya, her mouth hung open. After a few seconds of stunned inaction, her eyes began to fill with tears and she planted her feet in front of herself, wrapping her arms around her legs and burying her face in her knees.

Alya felt horrible. “Marinette I’m sorry. I don’t know who it is, but yeah… I know who it’s not, and I know that must be hard for you.” She reached out a hand to touch Marinette’s arm and pulled it back when she felt the slightest retreat on her friend’s part. “You can’t just turn off being in love with someone.”

Marinette looked up at Alya and wiped at her face with her fingers. “I’m not really mad at you, I know you aren’t trying to use it against me. I’m sorry I just… I’m so emotional and I can’t stop crying lately. It’s annoying!”

Alya fished a napkin out of the bag on the floor and handed it to Marinette. “Don’t apologize for that. I remember when my mom was pregnant with the twins, she cried over everything.”

Marinette blew her nose and ran her fingers through her hair. “I would still be with Adrien if he would have me, but we’re so young and he has his whole life ahead of him. He wouldn’t want to tie himself down when the baby isn’t even his, even if by some miracle he felt the same way about me as I do about him.” She sighed and covered her face with her hands.

“And ultimately I have to stop thinking about these hypothetical situations because the fact is, I’m pregnant with someone else’s baby and I owe it to myself and to him to try to make it work. He loves me, he’s told me before and I have to stop pushing him away because I’m so hung up on someone who only thinks of me as a friend.”

Alya was shocked. Marinette had just narrowed the list of candidates down to two boys and she hadn’t seemed to realize it. Nino hadn’t had a crush on Marinette in forever and was akumatized at the time. Everyone knew that Nathaniel had been in love with her after he dropped that comic and became Evillustrator. And Marinette had told her all about the heartfelt confession Luka gave months earlier after Hawkmoth had turned him into Silencer.

Nathaniel or Luka. One of them was the father of Marinette’s baby. Alya, though internally screaming, rested her chin on her hand and covered her lips with her fingers, nodding as Marinette looked back up at her. There was a slight possibility that it was some new, unknown boy, but Marinette made it sound like this guy had been in love with her for a while now, and she doubted highly that she wouldn’t have heard about it if there were someone else.

“What do you think you’ll do?” Alya found herself asking, her voice cracking slightly from the strain of holding back her internal struggle. “Adrien probably won’t know any different. As bright as the boy is, he’s pretty dense when it comes to girls being interested in him. Are you going to ask your baby daddy out on a date?”

Marinette looked taken aback. “NO!” A fierce red covered her cheeks, and she crossed her legs and slammed her hands down on her knees. She took a deep breath. “I mean… not yet anyway. I have to talk to him tonight and then I don’t want to do anything romantic at all until we’ve at least talked to my parents and gone to a first ultrasound appointment.”

Alya readjusted her hand to cup tighter over her mouth. Tonight? Did that rule out Nathaniel? She’d see Nathaniel at school and unless they had planned to wait and talk later to avoid suspicion, it might really not be him. She nodded again after an attempt to calm herself. “Makes sense. Take it slow.” Glancing down at her phone, she realized it was not long before they had to leave. “Oh shoot, you better get dressed. I’ll run downstairs and finish my breakfast and I’ll wait for you in the bakery.”

After Alya had gathered up the mess from their breakfast, she headed down through the trap door, leaving Marinette alone with Tikki. Marinette ran over to gather up her clothes for the day. “Sorry Tikki, I know you wanted to talk more, but I’m going to be late if I don’t get dressed right now and I really have to pee.” She quickly ran off to the bathroom and Tikki considered following her.

What would she even say at this point? The wheels were already in motion, and before long they’d have to tell Alya that Marinette was Ladybug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to prove to be a very long day. Hang in there guys.


	7. Thank You For This Opportunity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien is struggling. Alya can’t help herself. Marinette was too hungry for her own good. Lila likes to stir the pot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. It was my daughter’s birthday and that took precedence.

As his bodyguard drove him to school, Adrien stared out the window gloomily. He hadn’t been entirely truthful with Plagg last night, instead putting on a practiced smile and pacifying him with platitudes. His sleep had been restless and his scattered dreams filled with fractured images of Ladybug crying and his father yelling.

For several years now, Adrien’s life had been filled with constant stress. His base level of anxiety would drive most people to drink. The news Ladybug brought to him was intense, but to him felt almost like a way out of the life that was forced on him. If he could get through telling his father and by some miracle Ladybug was willing to give him a chance, he would have good reason to strike out on his own and make a life for himself that wasn’t beholden to the whims of his father. A life he chose… with the family he chose.

Well, the family he wanted, anyway.

Unfortunately, that was also the problem. He had to find the courage to tell his father. He had to face whatever reaction was in store, and fight against any ridiculous declarations and overreaching decisions he was sure his father would make. He would have to be strong enough to stand up for himself and the life he wanted, and to defend Ladybug, whoever she was under the mask. The chances of his father attacking Ladybug’s virtue and questioning whether he was actually the father were astronomical, and he couldn’t, wouldn’t, tell him why he was so sure. He and Ladybug would have to come up with a believable alternative truth.

And beyond that? An even more daunting and seemingly impossible feat; showing Ladybug that they could have something amazing together if she would only let him prove it to her. He’d loved her for so long, and she’d rebuffed his advances for so long that he had nearly given up. He had backed off a lot from the way he’d shamelessly flirted with her earlier in their partnership, but the feelings hadn’t gone anywhere. He’d come close a couple times to asking Master Fu if he could pass the Chat baton to someone else so he could stop torturing himself.

But then Ladybug told him the news that changed everything, and he couldn’t give up trying to have a whole family with her. Not unless she made that decision for him after they knew each other’s identities.

As they rolled up to the sidewalk in front of his school, Adrien saw Alya and Marinette walking together. Marinette looked sad at first but she suddenly appeared flustered and rushed up the stairs immediately upon seeing Adrien’s car. He never knew what to make of her. He cared about her, loved that she cared so much and helped people at every opportunity, and wanted to spend time with her, but she was an enigma.

Where Marinette seemed to be so confident, cool, and collected when she was with other people, Adrien mostly got avoidance and over-the-top reactions. It was still cute, and he had decided to accept it as a bizarre part of their friendship dynamic. He smiled for the first time that day as he stepped out of his car and watched Marinette hurry up the steps to the school, bumping into another student and bowing in apology. Yep, she was adorable, and he was glad they were friends.

Alya waved at him, clearly laughing about the same scene Adrien had just witnessed.

“Hey Adrien. Mari’s such a klutz, huh?”

“Ha, yeah. Is she okay? She seems more frazzled than usual.”

Alya’s demeanor changed, and she fidgeted slightly. “She’s okay. Just has a lot on her mind.” She was about to suggest that he give her some extra support before realizing that might make it harder for Marinette to get over her feelings for him. She had shipped the two of them for years by then, but until she knew who this mystery baby daddy was for sure, she couldn’t make any clear judgements on whether or not it was worth pushing Marinette toward anyone in particular. Playing matchmaker was fun, but she wanted all the facts first.

“Say Adrien - do you like kids?”

It was out of her mouth before she could really think it through. It was certainly a question she wanted to know the answer to, but she was pushing it and she knew it. She hoped he would laugh it off and walk away, but to her astonishment he shifted quickly from surprise to bemusement, and then answered.

“I love kids. I want a big family someday. I’ve wanted to be a dad for as long as I can remember.”

Alya blinked. She was genuinely and pleasantly surprised to hear that Adrien’s father hadn’t completely ruined the idea of parenting for him. She was about to ask him another entirely inadvisable question when Nino strolled up next to them and rested an arm on Alya’s shoulder.

“Are you talking about Mari? She told me last night.”

Elbowing Nino hard in the ribs and mimicking slitting her throat, Alya shot her best death glare into Nino’s quickly withering gaze. Grabbing him by the shoulders and turning them both to face away from Adrien, Alya looked back over her shoulder and grinned artificially at her confused blonde friend.

“Excuse us.”

Adrien stood awkwardly, suddenly feeling very out of place. He adjusted the strap of his bag as he wondered if he really needed to continue standing there. He could hear the occasional word from the quiet screaming Alya directed Nino’s way, but nothing of note. When they finally turned around again, Nino appeared to be sweating, and Alya smacked him a little too hard as she wrapped her arm around his shoulders once again.

“Okay Adrien,” Alya said a tad more forcefully than necessary, “I’ll let you two talk and I’ll see you in class.” She squeezed Nino’s shoulder. Nino winced. A moment later Alya abruptly let go and ran up the steps to head to class.

“What was that all about?” Adrien could still be a little dense at times when it came to picking up on social cues, but the threat in Alya’s tone and actions wasn’t exactly subtle. Nino tried to smile and laugh it off anyway, knowing that if he didn’t at least try to sell everything as normal, Alya would have his head.

“Oh, just Alya being Alya.” Nino’s laugh was hollow and odd. “So Adrien… uh… who would you marry, if you had to marry any girl in our class?”

Adrien was taken aback. “What? Why are you asking me this?” He glanced around nervously, hoping no one was close enough to hear.

“Come on dude, obviously you know my answer, I’m just curious what yours is. It’ll be fun.”

Adrien smiled and tipped his head toward the school, indicating they should start heading to class. Nino obliged and as they walked Adrien considered the question. He was friends with almost everyone in his class, and at least on good terms with everyone else, but Ladybug had been his sole romantic focus for what felt like forever. Still, in his weaker moments of considering giving up being Chat Noir, he had allowed himself to imagine what his life would be like if he did.

In all that daydreaming, the topic of girls he might date if he had given up on Ladybug definitely came up. He couldn’t actually pursue her, especially now that he was going to be a father, but his imaginings always came back to one name, and one name only. Saying it out loud felt like sacrilege, but it was just a hypothetical, and Nino wasn’t the type to spread rumors. As they came to their classroom, Adrien leaned over and whispered in Nino’s ear.

“Marinette.”

When he stepped into the classroom, his eyes automatically found Marinette’s, and he felt himself blush before he promptly averted his eyes and made his way to his seat in front of her. He realized a moment later that he should have said hi first, and awkwardly turned around in his seat and smiled, not wanting to be rude. “Good morning Marinette!”

An odd strangled sound erupted from her as she waved slightly. Adrien mentally kicked himself. He shouldn’t have told Nino, now that he’d said it out loud it was going to make things even more awkward between himself and Marinette. He would have to make it up to her somehow, prove to himself that he wouldn’t let silly hypotheticals stand in the way of them being good friends. He turned once again to face the front of the class as Nino leaned over and whispered to him.

“Good choice bro.” Nino gave a covert thumbs up to Alya, as she walked back from where she’d been chatting with Nathaniel. She sat next to Marinette, who had been totally unaware of all goings on outside of trying to avoid excessive interaction with the boy who she was determined to stop pining over. Thus far the attempt was only minimally successful, and the effort was giving her a stomach ache.

Miss Bustier walked into the room and their school day began. As soon as Miss Bustier was done taking roll and focused her attention on her lesson, Lila looked over at Nathaniel. She had heard Alya asking him questions about where he was when she and Nino were akumatized, if he had lost his memory, and who he was with. Alya tried to pass it off as a desire to apologize to all those who were affected, but Lila could see through that. She knew that sleuthing glint in Alya’s eyes when she saw it.

Lila was one of the four students in her class that hadn’t gotten their memory erased during their field trip to Montparnasse Tower that day. She ended up babysitting a befuddled group of her classmates with Alix after they were evacuated while Ladybug and Chat Noir put everything back to normal. She wasn’t sure why that day was suddenly so important to Alya months later, but she had a feeling it was something she wanted to know about.

Not ten minutes later, some puzzle pieces started sliding into place in Lila’s brain as she watched Marinette run toward the classroom door, tripping and barely making it to the trash can before she started vomiting. Alya immediately rushed to Marinette’s side, followed shortly by Miss Bustier, Mylène, and Rose.

Lila didn’t understand the affection her classmates held for Marinette; she was flighty and unreliable and her obvious crush on Adrien could not possibly be more obnoxious. Still, she had to keep up appearances. She stood and walked closer to the front of the class to offer her help and her expertise. When she saw Adrien also walking toward Marinette she panicked. She had to do something to keep him away from her, she couldn’t stand to see him lowering himself to interact with Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Rushing to Marinette’s side and holding her hand to her chest, she put on her best look of concern. “Oh poor Marinette - would you like someone to go get you some ginger from the cafeteria? I have several older friends who are pregnant too and they say it really helps with the nausea.” She said it loud enough for everyone in the immediate vicinity to hear, and smirked when she saw the look of shock on Adrien’s face. He stopped dead in his tracks and looked away from Marinette toward his bag sitting on the floor. Lila had succeeded in her goal.

Marinette looked absolutely furious and would have screamed at Lila to shut her mouth if it weren’t for another sharp wave of nausea. Alya shook her head gently at Lila but thanked her for the offer. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, Lila sauntered back to her seat next to Nathaniel, her job fulfilled. At least for now.

“I’m so sorry Mari,” Alya whispered to her “I shouldn’t have brought you such a big breakfast.” Once Marinette felt like she could pull away from the trash can, she smiled weakly at her best friend and shook her head.

“It’s not your fault. I knew I shouldn’t eat that early and I did anyway. It was delicious and I appreciate you bringing it. I just wish I hadn’t just thrown up in front of everyone, and that Lila hadn’t said that.”

Alya helped Marinette stand as Rose, Mylène, and now Juleka stood nearby. Miss Bustier worked to get the mess squared away, tying up the trash bag containing the remains of Marinette’s breakfast. “Why don’t you girls go with Marinette and help her get cleaned up. Adrien, since you haven’t sat back down yet, will you please go ask the janitor to come collect this garbage?”

Adrien had been in a daze for the last couple of minutes, still staring blankly toward his bag. He was a little desperate to talk to Plagg, to ask him some questions he wasn’t sure he’d get straight answers to. He nodded slowly, grabbing his bag and slinging it over his shoulder before heading to the door just after the girls had left.

After he watched them walk into the bathroom, Adrien was left alone in the hallway. Plagg phased out of Adrien’s bag and flew up to hide within his shirt collar. “So Marinette’s got a bun in the oven too, eh? What a bizarre coincidence.” His tone was leading and Adrien wasn’t in the mood for games.

“Plagg, tell me the truth for once, please. Is Marinette Ladybug? Have I really been sitting right in front of her all this time?”

Yawning dramatically, Plagg shrugged. “Even if I wanted to do your job for you, I can’t tell you. Physically cannot. I’ll tell you one thing though - if you and Ladybug weren’t such saps, you would have known each other’s identities last night.”

Grumbling, Adrien came to the janitor’s office and reached out to knock when the door suddenly swung open and Mr Damocles came stomping out.

“-don’t want to have to listen to any more complaints from parents because you’re not doing your job in a timely manner! It’s all well and good to do quality work, but it needs to be done quickly!”

The janitor stood inside his tiny office with his hands on his hips, fuming. Adrien poked his head in and, not wanting to cause further upset, simply informed him of the incident in Miss Bustier’s class and quickly walked away. He wanted to be able to talk to Plagg more before his next class and then he needed to find a minute to talk to Marinette.

In Adrien’s haste, he missed the seething rant of the janitor he left behind.

“Why is it so hard to say please and thank… yes, Hawkmoth… it would be my pleasure. Thank you for this opportunity.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry, but I did say this was going to be a long day.


	8. With a Little Help From My Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette gets by with a little help from her friends. Our first akuma battle.

Alix leaned into the girls’ bathroom where Marinette was being doted upon by the rest of their female friends. “Hey guys, class is almost over, should I just grab Marinette’s bag and bring it here?”

Marinette looked up with tears in her eyes. She hadn’t planned to tell so many people right away like this, but when she started breaking down in the bathroom it was hard to justify lying when they’d find out one way or another in not too many more weeks. She was already starting to show. She probably could have played it off as being upset that the silly rumors were persisting, but that would ultimately only serve to strain her relationships with the friends she relied on so heavily.

She had told them everything about the pregnancy symptoms and the forgotten encounter and was about to launch into the whole thing regarding her conflicting feelings when she started crying instead. Stupid hormones.

Alya figured Marinette would want Alix in her corner too, and could see she wasn’t quite ready to leave the relative comfort of the bathroom yet. “You stay here Alix, I’ll go.” She rubbed Marinette’s back once more and stood, squeezing past Alix and making her way into the hall. When she turned the corner leading to Miss Bustier’s class she spotted Adrien leaning against the wall, looking lost.

As she approached him he quickly wiped tears from his eyes and smiled that practiced, fake smile at her. She wasn’t so easily fooled and he should have known better than to try to hide his emotions from her. “Alright Adrien - clearly it’s my day to play therapist. What’s going on?”

His demeanor changed instantaneously once he realized she wanted to talk to him about it. Fidgeting and anxious, he looked at her hesitantly. “Is it true, Alya? Is Marinette really pregnant or is she just sick?” He saw the internal battle she was fighting and was determined to be on the winning side. “Please Alya, it’s important. Please just tell me the truth.”

Alya sighed. She was more than happy to buy a first class ticket on the honesty train that Marinette had reluctantly boarded recently, but she also knew she had to be careful and not do anything Marinette would hate her for. She put her hands on Adrien’s shoulders and lowered her voice to a whisper.

“It’s true, but please understand that Marinette’s trying to keep that information between close friends for now. She still hasn’t even told her parents.”

For such a tall guy, Adrien suddenly looked incredibly small. He could feel his heart starting to race and his legs felt heavy. “Did she…” he swallowed “did she say who the… the father w-was?”

Alya raised an eyebrow, wondering why Mr ‘she’s just a friend’ suddenly cared so much who Marinette might have made a baby with. She already knew it wasn’t him - maybe he finally started seeing the adoring girl right in front of him just a hair too late.

“No, she said she would tell me tonight after she talked to him face to face, but I have my suspicions. Are you okay? I know it’s pretty crazy news but you look like you’re about to be sick.”

He felt like he was about to be sick. He shook his head and looked past her, hoping to find Marinette. “Where is she? I need to talk to her.”

Alya leaned closer, a solemn look on her face. “She needs a couple more minutes, but listen, Adrien…” She cleared her throat and squeezed his shoulders. “Marinette’s in a really tough position right now. I might be really off-base here but she feels really strongly about needing to give her baby daddy a chance and you need to let her do that. She has pushed this guy away repeatedly because she was head over heels for you but now she’s having a kid with him.”

“They might not end up together, but you didn’t pursue her at all in the literal years she pined after you and it’s too late. As much as I wish you and Marinette had stopped being blind idiots years ago and just boned already—“ She huffed, frustrated that she was getting off topic.

Adrien, however, wasn’t really listening anymore. He had been such a fool. Marinette had been in love with him? For years? He honestly thought that her odd behavior was just how she was with everyone until she got comfortable with them, and he was just the friend she’d known for the least amount of time. He wanted to slam his head into a wall, he felt so dumb.

Before Alya could continue on her confusing, directionless tirade, a loud crash came from a classroom not far away from where they were standing. Where normal people might have waited, maybe even investigated, these were akuma-hardened Parisians. Adrien and Alya immediately bolted in the opposite direction, followed shortly by students and teachers flowing out of each door they passed.

“Alya! Get to the bathroom - make sure Marinette’s safe!”

Adrien turned a corner and ran down a different hallway before she could even respond. Alya pushed through the onslaught of bodies trying to evacuate the school and managed to make it to the girl’s bathroom. When she finally got inside and saw her friends, Marinette was nowhere to be seen. Her eyes widened as she saw Juleka, Rose, Mylène, and Alix sitting on the floor and laughing together.

“What are you doing? Where’s Marinette? Why aren’t you evacuating? And where is my phone, I think I left it in here!”

The group of girls collectively shrugged. Juleka pointed behind Alya, toward the door. “She left… right before you got here.”

Rose leaned her head on Juleka’s shoulder and smiled. “She told us to stay here. Said she was going to find you.”

Alix stood and leaned against the wall, holding Alya’s phone out to her. “We’re no safer outside than we are in here. May as well stay where we can chat with our friends without anyone interrupting.”

Alya looked upset but then relaxed. “Fair enough.” She snatched her phone out of Alix’s hand then quickly rushed toward the door again. “I’m going to get some footage and see if I can find Mari!”

* * *

Chat dodged an attack from another civilian as he struggled to even get close to Depreciator. They had all been hit by the keys at the end of the long chain that the akumatized janitor now wielded, and hated him for trying to cause damage to someone they deemed so far above him. He leapt up above their reach and further away from Depreciator.

“Come on guys, you’ll like me if you get to know me!” A stapler came flying toward his head and he planted his baton once more, launching himself closer to Ladybug, who was spinning her yo-yo in a circle motion in front of her.

“You’re going to have to face it kitty, you’ll be nothing to them until we capture this akuma. You can’t be the center of attention this time.”

Chat beat a few more thrown objects away as they flew toward them. “Aww, I’m not nothing to you, am I m'lady?”

Ladybug rolled her eyes and grabbed him around the waist, flinging out her yo-yo and swinging both of them up onto the roof. “Now’s not the time Chat. The civilians Depreciator hit are only attacking us because they think of us as less than human. Just vermin that need to be eradicated because we pose a threat to their leader.”

Chat nodded. “So we stay away from them and they’ll leave us alone?”

Ladybug placed her hands on her hips and looked around. “You don’t follow a rat when it runs back into the sewers. You only attack it if it’s going to cause harm to what you deem important.”

Spotting Depreciator as he smacked people with his keys, Ladybug got Chat’s attention and pointed. “See? Civilians who were hit aren’t hurting the ones who weren’t unless they fight back.”

Chat watched as Kim and Ivan ran toward Depreciator holding makeshift weapons and were immediately pummeled by a group of students who must have been among those hit by the keys. “We need to attack from above, where civilians won’t be able to stop us before it’s too late. The akuma has to be in his keys and if I can get close enough to cataclysm them, we’ll be in the clear.”

Ladybug nodded, and they ran to the portion of the roof that would get them closest to immediately above Depreciator and jumped off. As they came closer to landing where they intended, Depreciator whipped around, spotting them, and threw out his chain, aiming his keys directly at Ladybug’s abdomen. Chat and Ladybug were both mid-air and falling fast. Chat panicked and extended his baton, the end slamming into the side of their school and thrusting him into the path of the keychain.

As he fell to the ground, Chat’s expression changed from one of concern and panic to one of fury and disgust. “Get away from him you filthy beetle!” Chat swung out his extended baton and heard a sharp crack as it made contact with Ladybug’s jaw.

She stumbled, hurt as much emotionally as physically, but quickly recovered and used her yo-yo to swing out of sight. Cursing and trying not to cry, she clenched her fists and tossed her yo-yo into the air, shouting “Lucky Charm!”

When a pair of red bolt cutters fell into her hands, Ladybug was thankful for something straight forward. Her jaw was killing her, the guy who was the father of her child and that she was supposed to be trying to fall for just called her a ‘filthy beetle’ and she was suddenly starving and crying. Again. She was absolutely not interested in prolonging this fight any more than necessary.

Unfortunately it would be hard enough to get close enough to Depreciator with just his civilian lackeys, much less Chat trying to take her down. She needed someone to distract them. Or several someones. She tucked the bolt cutters underneath her arm and swung herself out of her hiding place and up toward an open window of the school.

Once inside, Ladybug quickly ran toward the ladies’ restroom and flung open the door.

“Ladybug!” The four girls yelled in unison and all jumped to their feet. They had been watching the news footage on their phones and were ready to see this battle over and done with.

Ladybug grimaced, but looked determined. “I’m sorry girls, but I need to ask you to do something to help me get close enough to release Depreciator’s akuma. He hit Chat Noir and now he’s fighting against me. It’ll be dangerous, but I need you to distract Chat and the civilians down in the courtyard so I can clean up this mess.” Her earring beeped and she lifted a hand to touch it. “And I’m sorry, but it will have to be quick.”

The girls didn’t hesitate, immediately rushing out of the bathroom into the hall. Mylène turned toward Ladybug and smiled, the chance to help Ladybug always filled with excitement. “We’ll head straight down and get them further away from Depreciator so you can do your thing.”

Ladybug nodded and thanked them, quickly heading back out onto the roof. She watched a couple minutes later as her friends fought the other, angry students and attracted the attention of Chat Noir. As soon as they had his attention they led him further away from where Depreciator was destroying school property.

Ladybug dropped down quickly and wrapped her yo-yo around Depreciator’s keychain, yanking it taught, and in one swift movement used her other arm to get the bolt cutters clamped down on the chain, using her body to leverage the other side of the cutters. A moment later a purple and black butterfly flew out and Ladybug caught it in her yo-yo. She released it, sending a white butterfly into the sky.

“Miraculous Ladybug!” She yelled as she tossed the bolt cutters up into the air. After a moment her jaw had stopped hurting and the girls were no longer being attacked by a now incredibly confused and ashamed Chat Noir.

Ladybug bent over to help the school’s janitor stand as Chat apologized profusely to their classmates and ran over to Ladybug.

“My lady - I’m not entirely sure what happened but I’m so so sorry if I hurt you.”

Ladybug’s eyes filled with those damnable tears again and she turned away from him. Her earrings beeped again and she had never been so thankful. “Help _him,_ Chat. We’ll talk later, like we planned. I have to go.”

Chat watched her swing away and then turned to the flustered janitor. He helped him inside with a kind smile on his face and said all the right things to help him feel better about what had just transpired. Inside he was a wreck. He wasn’t sure yet what he had done after he got hit by Depreciator, but judging by Ladybug’s reaction, it was horrible.

He found a place to detransform and looked at his phone. Their battle had taken up almost their entire next two classes and it was about time for lunch. Wherever Marinette was, he had to find her and he had to apologize.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This battle sequence was originally longer and Depreciator had some annoying lines that I hated and ultimately cut. I think it’s better this way - I’ll have to work on better villain ideas. 😬 I’m way better at interpersonal relationships and thought processes.


	9. When You Assume...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which feelings are felt and assumptions make an ass out of u and me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goodness! Everyone was so mad at Alya after the last chapter! Hopefully after this one you see her motivations a little differently.

It took about fifteen minutes following the defeat of Depreciator to get all the students back inside the school and ensure they were all accounted for. It was something they had done on roughly a weekly basis for years at that point, and it took a lot less time than it used to. Their student body had shrunk a bit, many students being pulled by baffled parents who couldn’t understand why Françoise Dupont was targeted on such a consistent basis. Adrien was surprised his father had allowed him to stay.

As he spotted Nino in the hallway and ran up to him, Adrien looked panicked. “Nino, have you seen Marinette? I need to find her.”

“Oh hey man. Yeah, she and Alya were just here. They went to have lunch at her parents’ bakery.” He saw Adrien turn to head their direction and grabbed his arm. “But uh… we should hang out and have lunch with… umm..” he spotted Kim and Max. He pulled Adrien toward their mutual friends. “Yo dudes we should all have lunch together, just us bros!”

Adrien was not in the mood and yanked his arm back from Nino’s grasp. “Okay no. Normally I would love having lunch with you guys but I can tell you’re keeping something from me and trying to keep me from talking to Marinette.”

Nino lifted his hand to the back of his head and smiled awkwardly, unsure of how to rectify the situation. Alya had tasked him with keeping Adrien away so things wouldn’t be harder for Marinette that they already were. He was not looking forward to what would happen if he failed. Waving at Max and Kim in apology, he pulled Adrien off to the side. “Dude, Alya told me you’re interested in Mari, and I gotta say, I agree that it’s too little, too late. Mari needs to do what she thinks is right and right now that means letting go of her feelings for you.”

Adrien would have felt crushed if it weren’t for his near certainty that the guy she needed to let go of him for was himself. He wouldn’t be able to be one hundred percent sure until he talked to her, but she was with Alya and after another minute of contemplation, he relaxed his tensed muscles and nodded. “You’re right, Nino. Alright. Let’s go eat.” He couldn’t make decisions on what to say based on an assumption that he was the father of Marinette’s baby.

They walked together back over toward Max and Kim who were analyzing the video that Alya had uploaded to the Ladyblog immediately after Depreciator was defeated.

“Ouch, that looks like it hurt!” Kim replayed the portion where Chat Noir smacked Ladybug with his baton once again, this time for Adrien and Nino to see.

The look of horror on Adrien’s face worried Nino. “Hey bro, you good?”

Before Adrien could respond, his phone rang. His father was calling and he couldn’t ignore it. He excused himself from his group of friends and answered. “Hello? Father?”

Gabriel sounded annoyed, which was nothing new. “Adrien. I’ve arranged for a last-minute photo shoot to take place this afternoon. Nathalie and your bodyguard will be in front of your school any minute and you will not be returning to school afterward. You will go straight from the shoot to fencing, and then you have your Chinese lessons. Please gather your things and be ready to go immediately.”

Adrien wanted nothing more than to refuse, but he would soon have to inform his father that he was expecting a child, and figured that would go over better coming from an otherwise dutiful son than one who was intent on defying him.

“Yes, Father.” The call disconnected with no further pleasantries, and Adrien turned back to his friends, rolling his eyes. “I’m sorry guys, emergency photo shoot. I have to go.” He looked directly at Nino and nodded. “You’re right, some space will help. I’ll text you later.”

When he walked out of the front of the school a few minutes later, his bodyguard was already parked by the sidewalk, and Nathalie was standing next to the car. She looked up from her tablet as he approached and opened the door for him. “Adrien. I’ve already informed your principal that you will not be returning after your shoot today.” She noticed the morose look on his face and frowned. “Is everything alright?”

Adrien’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. He wasn’t used to concern from the people he shared a home with. He liked to believe that if she knew what he was going through, Nathalie would be able to keep it a secret from his father and be a support to him, but he couldn’t risk it. He smiled convincingly and nodded. “I’m fine Nathalie, just was hoping to spend lunch with my friends.”

After they were all in the car and driving to his photo shoot, Adrien pulled out his phone and pulled up Marinette’s number. Even without knowing for sure if she was Ladybug, he needed her to know that he would always support her. He tapped on the messaging icon and started typing.

**[AA:** Are you okay? I’ve been worried about you all morning.**]**

When she didn’t respond after a couple minutes he decided to send one more text before backing off.

**[AA:** I need you to know that I’m here for you if you need anything. You’re one of my best friends and I’ll always drop anything to be there for you. No matter what.**]**

It took him about thirty seconds of not getting a response before he realized he probably made a mistake.

* * *

“No! I won’t let you. You’ve come so far.”

Marinette reached ineffectually for the phone Alya was holding at arm’s length. She had barely read the first text Adrien had sent when Alya snatched the phone out of her hand and refused to let her respond.

“Come on Alya, it was a hard morning and he’s concerned, that’s all! I don’t want him to keep worrying. It’s not like texting my friend back means I’ll change my mind.”

Alya eyed her suspiciously then sighed. “Alright. I’ll text him back for you so he won’t have to worry. But you can’t encourage him, he needs to know there are boundaries.”

Marinette was confused. “What do you mean? Why would…” Marinette furrowed her brow and raised her hands to her cheeks. “Alya what did you do? Did he say something?”

Alya looked apologetic and cringed. “I’m sorry Mari. I know you’re trying to get past your feelings for him, so even though normally I would have let you tell him yourself, he asked if the rumors were true and I… told him the truth.”

Marinette sat down on the chaise and hung her head in her hands. She was speechless.

“There’s more…” Alya said sheepishly. “I think he… well I think he was starting to like you because he reacted really weirdly and asked if I knew who the father was.”

Marinette slowly turned her head to stare at her best friend, dumbfounded. “And what did you tell him?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Alya shrank in on herself, crossing her arms and suddenly incredibly self-conscious. She had screwed up and she knew it now. She started to apologize but the angry glare Marinette shot her way stopped her. “I told him what you told me. That the dad was someone who’s been trying to… woo you I guess, and you’ve been pushing him away.” She could see Marinette start to shake. “I… I told him you wanted to give the dad a chance and…”

Marinette stood up and walked away from Alya, her hands balled up into fists. “AND?!”

Alya stood also and took a step closer to the girl who was hopefully still her best friend. “...and that he was too late if suddenly he’d developed feelings for you at the worst possible time after years of you being in love with him.”

Marinette whipped around and screamed at Alya, tears streaming down her face. “What were you thinking!? Obviously I didn’t want him to find out I had feelings for him just as I’m trying to move on to someone else! I don’t even know if things are going to work out with the baby’s father and… and what the hell, Alya!? Based on what you told him he’s going to think I had sex with LUKA!”

She sunk down into a squat and ran her fingers through her hair, missing the complete shock on Alya’s face. “He’s going to think I’m easy, he’ll realize I’m nowhere near as perfect as he is, and he’s going to go marry Kagami and have three kids and a hamster with HER because I’m damaged goods!”

Alya sunk down onto her knees in front of Marinette, setting Marinette’s phone on the floor so she could grab her friend’s wrists. “Hey! No. Absolutely not. You are Marinette effing Dupain-Cheng.” Tears began to fall from Alya’s eyes as she made eye contact with one of the most important people in her life. “You are NOT damaged goods. You are worth ten Adrien Agrestes and he would be so lucky if you ever gave him a chance after being oblivious to your love for him for years.”

“So you had sex and you’re gonna be a mom.” Alya shrugged. “Who cares. I’d still date you.”

The two girls smirked at each other and Alya released Marinette’s wrists, seeing that she had relaxed.

“I’m so sorry girl, I shouldn’t have told him so much but I just wanted him to back off and respect your wishes. I got a little overprotective.”

Marinette looked at her phone, face down on the floor. She wanted to read Adrien’s texts and let him know she was okay. If she was being honest, she wanted to take advantage of the fact that he evidently had feelings for her and kiss him when she got back to school. But that wouldn’t be fair. Not to Adrien, not to Chat, and not to herself. She had to let him go, and she wasn’t sure she could do that if she was still trying to be his close friend.

Wiping at her eyes, Marinette grabbed her phone and stood, quickly followed by Alya. “Here.” She handed the phone over. “Text him back for me.”

* * *

Plagg was munching on a piece of Camembert in Adrien’s bag, trying to savor every last gooey morsel, when a vibration startled him. “Aaahh!” He turned around and saw the notification for a new text message from Marinette. Reading her words, he rolled his eyes and chuckled to himself.

“You idiots are in for a surprise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter today, sorry. I have a kid home sick from school and frankly wanted to put off the reveal a little longer because I’m a sadist. 😂 Okay, not actually. More because I have big plans for the next chapter and wanted these things first and separate. Don’t hate me! Happy Halloween!


	10. Unnecessary Heartache

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette panics, Alya and Nino need to be more aware, Lila is truly heinous, and Adrien and Plagg suffer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He’s only briefly mentioned, but I definitely prefer Chris’ original French name, Noël, and decided to use that instead. It’s a name that has special meaning to me and frankly it goes better with Nino. If you don’t like it, just pretend I wrote Chris. 🤷🏻

The next several hours passed with relative ease, and Marinette was able to relax a bit when she realized that Adrien had left for the day. Even Chloé’s snide quips about changing diapers faded into the background as she focused on her schoolwork. She had been able to set aside all of her worries and not get too emotional. That is, until about fifteen minutes before school was over, when Adrien texted her back.

He must have just finished with his photo shoot, or was on a break, she realized as she picked up her phone. Rolling her eyes that were already prickling with emotion, she sighed and resolved to stop memorizing Adrien’s schedule. She was looking forward to meeting Chat later that evening, when she could finally find out who he really is, and bury herself in a boy other than Adrien Agreste. Maybe even every bit as much physically as mentally and emotionally, she thought passively. It would help her get past this silly crush. Or, at least a crush was what she was desperately attempting to downgrade her feelings to.

She was feeling like crying just thinking about the fact that he had texted her back, so she decided to wait to read it until she was home. Even then she could have Tikki read it for her and just give her the highlights. Placing the phone face down on the table, she pressed her palms against her eyes, willing herself to be calm. She was getting well and truly sick of how easily she was crying lately. Poor Chat - it was a good thing he didn’t remember her total overreaction to him hitting her when he’d gotten hit by Depreciator’s keys. She felt so stupid about it, it was far from the first time he’d been pitted against her, entirely outside of his control.

Before she knew it, the bell rang, and she realized she hadn’t been paying attention for the last ten or so minutes. As students rushed past her, she bent down to pick up her bag and then reached for her ph— Where was her phone? She’d only just set it down. She jumped up, walking around the table to see if it had fallen, but it was nowhere to be seen. She checked her bag to see if it had managed to somehow make its way in there, to no avail. As the last couple students walked out the door and she was left in the room alone, with not even her instructor in sight, she cursed.

“Tikki, someone took my phone!”

* * *

“I have no idea but I know it’s not Nathaniel and it’s almost definitely not Luka. At Montparnasse that day, Nathaniel says he and Mylène were watching over Miss Bustier, Ivan, Rose, and Juleka after they had lost their memories. He said he was pretty sure Alix was one of the other students who still had their memories and was watching over the rest of the class, but he couldn’t be certain.”

Alya was pacing back and forth in front of Nino as he listened with his arms crossed. They were standing at the end of a secluded hallway and speaking in hushed tones. Nino pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and sighed.

“Babe, I know this is important to you and I know what you’re like when you’re on the path of a story, but this isn’t that. You’re not chasing down a lead to use in a story, you just have to be there for Marinette.”

Alya threw her arms up into the air, frustrated that he was right. “Dang it Nino! Why do you have to point out harsh truths!?” She smoothed down the front of her shirt in an effort to calm herself and walked closer to him. “You’re right… I know you’re right. She even told me she’d tell me tonight after she talked to him.”

Her hands slid up Nino’s chest and over his shoulders until she could clasp them together behind his neck. “I just… suck at waiting. I want to do something, you know?”

Nino wrapped his arms around his girlfriend, pulling her closer and rubbing their noses together. “I do know. But you gotta let Marinette take this at her pace.” He grinned and winked. “And if in the meantime you need a distraction… my parents and Noël won’t be home for hours.”

Alya smirked and kissed him, gently biting his bottom lip as she pulled away. “I could use something to occupy my thoughts for a bit.” She stepped back and grabbed Nino’s hand and the pair walked down the hall toward the main entrance.

Moments later, Lila stepped out of the dark classroom that Nino and Alya hadn’t thought to check. She meandered slowly down the hall as she finished typing Marinette’s return text to Adrien and sent it off. She then deleted the text from Marinette’s phone so she wouldn’t know it had been sent. Coming to the classroom where she had snatched the phone in the first place, she tossed it under a seat to make it seem like it had simply been dropped.

Lila was well aware that every good lie was rooted at least somewhat in truth. She had been piecing together what was going on with Marinette throughout the day, and with the text exchange with Adrien coupled with the conversation she overheard, she had more than enough to move forward.

* * *

After wiping the remainder of the makeup off his face and changing back into his clothes, Adrien walked over to his bag. Plagg had been waiting for him and immediately flew up toward his face.

“Hey Adrien, can we just ditch fencing and go do something fun? I’m sick of your schedule, and with you and Ladybug revealing your identities tonight this is your last day as a free man!”

Adrien scowled at the kwami. “Not this again Plagg, you know I don’t have a choice. I need my father to see me as responsible. Especially now.” Plagg was flying closer toward Adrien in a zigzag pattern, almost as though he were ushering him backward. “What are you doing? Move. I need to check my phone.”

Plagg stopped zigging and zagging but didn’t back off. “You don’t need to do that! You don’t even need to know the time. Plausible deniability - if you didn’t know it was time for fencing, your father can’t be mad that you didn’t go. Let’s get out of here, go find André and get some ice cream.” He licked his lips and rubbed his belly dramatically.

Ignoring Plagg’s temptations, Adrien pushed past him and reached toward his bag only to have his hair tugged from behind. “What the hell, Plagg!?” Adrien reached back and grabbed Plagg’s tiny black body and was about to yell at him when there was a knock on his dressing room door. Plagg phased back into Adrien’s bag just as Nathalie let herself in.

“Adrien, we have to leave in 5 minutes for you to not be late for fencing practice. Please finish quickly.”

Adrien nodded as she shut the door again. As soon as he heard her walk away he opened his bag and saw Plagg holding his phone, his belly pressed against the screen. “Plagg what are you doing? Let me have my phone.” He reached down with both hands and attempted to remove Plagg from his phone.

“Plagg, seriously, what are you doing?! Get off!”

Plagg held tight to the phone and whined. “I didn’t realize my paws wouldn’t make the screen do anything. Is this why they make those winter gloves with the weird fingertips?” He glanced up at Adrien and saw fury in his eyes. “I promise I’m trying to save you from more unnecessary heartache.”

Adrien looked taken aback. He knew Plagg cared about him somewhere underneath all that sarcasm, whining, and love of cheese, but it wasn’t like him to care about feelings. “Why? Is it Marinette? Did she text me back?” He reached down one last time and finally Plagg moved voluntarily, his head hung.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you, kid.”

Adrien picked up his phone and unlocked it, looking at the text thread between he and Marinette. He read everything from that day through carefully. Then again. “This doesn’t make any sense, Plagg. Why would she… why would she say this? What did I do wrong?” His eyes filled with tears. Logically he knew that if his suspicions were correct and she was in fact Ladybug, then tonight would change everything. He had to believe that she was pushing him away because she assumed he wasn’t the father of her baby, and it was too hard to be in love with someone other than Chat.

But if it really was just some crazy coincidence and one of the best friends he’d ever had was pushing him away in her time of need… he wasn’t sure what he would do. Marinette was great. She was beautiful and kind and generous… if she turned out to be Ladybug after all, he would hardly believe his luck. If she wasn’t Ladybug, however, he was being shoved away forcefully by one of the most important people in his life.

Plagg flew over and perched himself on the top of Adrien’s phone. He was about to say something uncharacteristically sweet when the dressing room door started to open again and he had to hide. Seeing Nathalie waiting impatiently, Adrien grabbed the remainder of his belongings, wiped his eyes, and followed her out of the building.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know. And I’m sorry. I PROMISE that in the next chapter I’ll at least get to the beginning of the reveal scene, but I won’t promise that the reveal will happen then, it might take one more.


	11. Baby Steps in the Right Direction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette’s timeline gets moved up again. Adrien confides in a friend. Rendezvous atop a tower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. I promised. I delivered. Enjoy. :)

“She’ll be home any minute. Stop pacing.” Sabine wiped her hands on her apron and started carefully placing macarons in the pink box on the counter. Smiling sweetly at the confused customer, she slid the box over to him and watched as he walked out the door.

“Tom! You’re scaring the customers. You have to stay calm.”

Tom was decidedly _not_ calm. “She should have been home an hour ago. Where is she? I need to see her.”

Sabine walked up to her husband and hugged his arm to her chest. “Sweetie, I told you. She had to finish an art assignment with a classmate and she’ll be home very soon, I promise you.”

“Tell me again,” the frantic baker said “tell me what you heard her say.”

His patient wife sighed and smiled softly. “We shouldn’t jump to conclusions dear. It could be nothing. She was having an emotional conversation with Alya. They weren’t even necessarily talking about Marinette.” Seeing she hadn’t appeased him, she entwined her fingers with Tom’s and kissed the back of his hand. “She… said something about ‘the baby’s father’ and about someone thinking she was having sex with a boy named Luka. I think that’s Juleka’s older brother, isn’t it?”

She was doing her best to remain even-tempered but saying it out loud again was making that difficult. Still, she was determined to give Marinette the benefit of the doubt and convince Tom to do the same. “Honey, I think you need to let me handle this. Do you think you can just listen to Marinette’s explanation before you react?”

Tom nodded, breathing deeply. “I think so.”

Moments later, Marinette pushed open the door to the bakery and smiled up at her parents. “Hi Maman, hi Papa. Sorry, the boy I was working with had a different idea for the project. It was better in the end but it took a little extra time.”

His resolve quickly chipping away, Tom whipped around to face Marinette, a hurt and angry look on his face. “Is Luka the boy you were with? And who’s pregnant? Is it you? Did this Luka take advantage of you?”

Sabine covered her eyes with her hands and hung her head. “Tom…” She was incredibly exasperated but could hardly be angry. She understood how he felt. Looking back up at Marinette, she could see the tears forming in her eyes and rushed over to her, wrapping her arms around her daughter. “Oh, honey…”

Marinette started sobbing and dropped her bag to the floor. “I… I’m so sorry. I wanted to tell you sooner... but I didn’t know for sure until yesterday.” She was speaking amidst hiccups and shudders and barely was able to get the words out.

Seeing his distraught child, Tom couldn’t help but to close the distance between them and wrap his massive arms around his wife and baby girl. “I’m sorry I scared you. I just need to know that you’re safe and that no one has hurt you. Did this boy hurt you?”

“No Papa, Luka isn’t involved at all, I swear, and…” She proceeded to tell them about the field trip to Montparnasse Tower, the memory-erasing powers that Oblivio used on her class, and the reality that she was, in fact, pregnant.

“I didn’t want it to happen like that. We’ve talked about it and agreed that I would go on birth control if I was even considering it. But I promise no one hurt me, Papa. The boy I was with… I trust him. And he didn’t have his memories either, so he wasn’t taking advantage. I know it’s far-fetched, but it’s true. I just need you to trust me, I know him and he would never hurt me.”

At that point the three of them were sitting in their apartment on the couch, Tom having closed the bakery temporarily. Tom and Sabine had been listening intently, Sabine pinching him every time he tried to interject. They both nodded thoughtfully, one particular burning question in mind.

Tom looked to Sabine for permission to ask and Sabine nodded with a warning glance at her husband. He leaned forward, forcing himself to speak with an even tone. “Marinette, my beautiful girl… you’re… you’re having a baby. I can… get used to the idea… but I need to have a talk with this boy. Make sure he’s worthy of my Marinette.”

Tugging gently on her pigtails, Marinette suppressed a groan and made eye contact with her mother. They both knew that there didn’t exist a man who could possibly live up to that expectation. Even she didn’t know how her father would react to Chat, since she didn’t even know his real name yet, much less what his life was like outside of being a superhero. She sighed and put her hands on her knees, closing her eyes.

“I promise you will talk to him soon, Papa.” She looked up at him, suddenly very serious. “I can’t tell you who he is yet, but please just trust me. You’ll know very soon. He’s great, and I want to see if I can make a relationship with him work. We weren’t even dating, so this is new and scary for both of us and we have a lot to figure out.”

Sabine looked over at Tom, who she could see was holding back a lot in how much he wanted to say and how loud he wanted to say it. She was really impressed that he’d only had one outburst. Reaching out and taking Tom’s hand, she smiled at him before looking back at Marinette. “Your father is a little overwhelmed by all this, but we believe you, sweetie.” She squeezed Tom’s hand reassuringly. “And we do trust you. You’ve never given us any reason not to.”

Tears were flowing down Marinette’s cheeks as her mother reached out and took her hand. Sabine smiled and tried to be strong for her family. “Please just let us know as soon as possible when we can have this young man over for dinner and discuss what happens next.”

Suddenly Sabine stood and left the area. “I need to make you an appointment!”

* * *

Kagami knocked Adrien’s foil out of his hand for the fifth time in the last ten minutes. “Enough!” She threw her own foil to the ground, and removed her mask and gloves.

“You’re distracted again. Tell me what it is so I can get back to being challenged.”

Adrien sighed and removed his mask. “I’m sorry, Kagami. I found out some crazy news yesterday and… it’s going to change things for me. I’m not sure if I’ll keep fencing for much longer.”

For just the slightest moment, Kagami looked disappointed. She quickly replaced it with annoyance and spoke a little less kindly. “Am I wasting my time with you? Do I need to find a new sparring partner, someone who has the same goals as I do?”

Adrien hung his head, but nodded. “I’m afraid so. My priorities are changing, and I need to put all my energy into different areas now.”

Kagami stared straight at him, determined to face this head on. “Do these different areas have anything to do with this girl you have feelings for?”

Only slightly surprised by how astute she was, Adrien smiled and scratched at the back of his head. “It has… everything to do with her actually. And I have to make her my priority. I should be able to practice with you for a little longer, but you deserve to know that there are other things that will take my time and attention from here on out.”

Kagami looked sullen for a moment, then pulled her gloves back on and picked up her foil. “Very well. Thank you for informing me. Now, make the most of the time we have left. I won’t have my time wasted anymore.”

Adrien smirked and pulled his mask back on. “I’ll give it my all.”

* * *

“I’m really nervous, Tikki.” Marinette paced back and forth in her bedroom, her parents having recently gone to bed. Their understanding and support meant the world to her, and even though she had wanted Chat to be with her when she told them, she was glad that they knew. Chat would be there when they discussed their plans for the future, and hopefully for every milestone after that.

Tikki flew over and nuzzled against Marinette’s cheek. “I know, but this is wonderful! Your parents took the news really well, and Chat wants nothing more than to help you and be there for you. Not to mention Alya and your other friends… You have so much support Marinette - not many can say that.”

Marinette sighed and nodded. “I know, Tikki. You’re right, but this is a big step. I’m ready to admit to myself and to Chat that I might have given him a chance a long time ago if it weren’t for my feelings for Adrien. I just worry that he’s placed me on this pedestal, and when he realizes I’m just clumsy, dorky Marinette… he’ll change his mind.”

Tikki grimaced. She could not wait until she no longer had to hide identities from her miraculous holder. Not much longer and she wouldn’t have to watch these poor kids suffer unnecessarily anymore.

“Chat Noir loves you, Marinette. He loves you for all that you are, and you are Ladybug both in and outside of the suit. He loves your kindness, your generosity, your bravery. Marinette possesses all of those same traits.”

Ceasing her pacing and donning a power stance with fists on her hips, Marinette looked determined. “You’re right Tikki. It’s going to be fine. Whoever he is, he’s the same Chat I have always known and even though I’m sure there will be some awkward moments, that’s to be expected, right?”

Tikki smiled and the two shared a tiny version of a hug. “Absolutely Marinette! That’s the spirit.”

“Alright Tikki, I’ll worry about who took my phone tomorrow, and I might have to go see Alya in person so she doesn’t bite my head off for not calling, but I want to be early, so let’s go.”

* * *

“Listen to your gut kid, don’t worry about it and just focus on getting to Ladybug. I promise everything will be fine after you reveal yourselves and you won’t be worried about why what’s-her-name doesn’t want you to talk to her.” Plagg popped a piece of Camembert in his mouth and stretched, yawning.

Adrien rolled over in his bed. The day had been long and exhausting, both physically and emotionally. He’d been able to set all his worries about Marinette aside during the end of fencing practice and while he studied Chinese, but all the hurt and confusion surrounding her last text to him came crashing back over him once he was home.

“She told me to stay away from her, Plagg. It’s so unlike her. She’s always been so polite and kind to me.”

Plagg sighed. “Stop overthinking this. Eat some cheese - it always makes me feel better. Marinette will be your friend again, she’s just having a hard time. Now put her out of your mind and go see Ladybug. You know, the girl of your dreams who’s going to have your baby?”

“Stop Plagg - of course she’s my priority. And I hope that even though you won’t tell me, it’ll turn out that I was worrying over nothing, but Marinette means a lot to me. Even if she’s not Ladybug, we’re going through really similar situations and I think it’d be good to have each other to lean on.”

Plagg had had enough. He couldn’t stand listening to Adrien torture himself like this. “STOP OVERTHINKING THIS AND JUST GO!”

Adrien was really annoyed, but he was incredibly anxious to go find out for sure before he jumped to any more conclusions. He loved Ladybug, and no matter what, everything would work out. It had to.

“Plagg - claws out!”

* * *

He landed on the highest platform of the Eiffel Tower and smiled when he saw Ladybug balancing on the railing in the same place he’d done the same the night before. She looked up at him and blushed, hopping down and walking over to him slowly.

“Chat… how was your day?” She crossed her arms in front of her and held her elbows. Biting her bottom lip, she studied his face and wondered what he looked like without the mask. She’d know soon enough, but the anticipation was killing her.

Chat took a couple steps closer to her, blushing as he remembered how close they’d been the night before on that very platform. “Kind of insane actually. Are you okay? I saw a video of what happened during the akuma attack.”

Ladybug suddenly looked uncomfortable. “I’m fine. I hoped you wouldn’t see that. I’m sorry - I know you didn’t know what you were doing, I just… hormones are crazy and I’ve been crying over the stupidest things.”

Chat looked down at his feet and shrugged. “Oh… okay. I was really worried you would be mad at me or think I hated you or something.” He kicked at the ground and then looked back up at her.

“No, I know you better than that.” Ladybug smiled and reached out a hand for him to take. Once he snapped out of his melancholy and took her hand, she tucked herself up against his side and wrapped an arm around him. “Speaking of which, this is awkward enough. What do you say we get to it? We can talk more after we know each other’s names.”

Scared out of his mind and freaked out by the startling increase in his heart rate, Chat wrapped his arm around her rib cage and didn’t know what to say.

“Come on kitty, you need to hold me way tighter than that. I need you to close your eyes so I can take us both to the place I wanted to do this.”

He hesitated a moment before awkwardly leaning himself up against her side and wrapped his limbs around her in what he hoped was the least obtrusive way possible. Seconds later he felt a sudden tug as Ladybug swung them toward the edge of the platform and a drop as they fell off the side of the tower. He reveled in the sure movements of her body as she traveled confidently across the Paris skyline.

The sun had gone down and he only heard a couple people call out their names as Ladybug carried him across rooftops and alleyways. He knew they had reached their destination when Ladybug stopped and waited for him to stand on his own.

“Are we here? Can I open my eyes?” He was about to do just that when he heard her gasp softly. His heart was pounding in his ears so he couldn’t actually be sure how soft it really was.

“WAIT!” Ladybug rushed forward and clamped a hand over his mask, pushing him against the railing with her body pressed against his, her other arm slung around the back of his neck. “Don’t look yet. I need to tell you something first, while I’m still just Ladybug to you.”

Chat swallowed and nodded, his mouth hung open slightly. He could feel the heat of her breath on his neck and it only added to the pressure he was feeling in his chest. This was hands down one of the most tense moments of his life, and he wondered if he should lift the arms hanging limp at his sides and hold her.

Ladybug wasn’t entirely sure what had come over her, but she very much liked being this close to Chat. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones and the fact that he was the father of her child. Maybe it was that she had finally given herself permission to see him in a romantic light. She thought it would be harder to make herself be affectionate with him at first. It wasn’t hard, it felt right. She nuzzled her face into his neck, breathing him in, and smiled when she felt him shiver. “Keep your eyes closed Chat.”

She stood up straight, body still pressed against his, and moved her hands to the sides of his face. “Before you know who I am I need to tell you that I’m sorry. I’m sorry for always pushing you away. I’m sorry for making you feel like you weren’t wanted or… or loved. You deserve better than that, and if you’ll let me, I want to give it to you. I want to try to make this work.”

Chat’s expression was unsure, but it was hard to tell how else he might be feeling with his eyes still closed. He finally lifted his arms and placed his hands on Ladybug’s hips. “Are you just saying that because we’re having a ki-kitten together, my lady?” Hopeful. That was what it was, Ladybug realized.

Chat’s closed eyes filled with tears, his false bravado failing spectacularly. He knew that this probably was only happening because of the baby, but he couldn’t help but hope that it was more than that. The idea that Ladybug could love him just for who he was might be too much to ask, but he wanted it more than anything.

Standing on the tips of her toes, Ladybug leaned in and kissed Chat on the corner of his mouth as a tear slid down his cheek. She lingered there for several seconds, her whole body desperate to get closer to him. She felt his body tense and pulled back, the heat she felt across her face matching the blush she saw on his.

“No Chat… I’ve always cared about you as more than a friend, more than a partner. I realized that yesterday. I was just so hung up on this other guy I… He never saw me the way you do, not for years of me trying to get him to.”

Chat shifted uncomfortably before wrapping his arms tightly around her and pulling her against his chest, his eyes still firmly shut. “I’m so sorry Ladybug. You deserve so much better than someone who doesn’t see how amazing you are. I… I promise you I have loved you and only you since the day we met.” At this point, he wasn’t sure his heart could take it if she wasn’t Marinette. He had to make his years of unintentionally pushing her away up to her somehow.

After another moment, Ladybug pulled back and took a couple steps backward, dislodging herself from him entirely.

“I know mon chaton, I trust you.” She cleared her throat and bounced a few times on the balls of her feet, clasping her hands behind her back and trying to calm her nerves. “Are you ready?”

Chat wrapped his arms around himself and nodded slowly. Truthfully, he felt like he might explode. He had never been less ready for anything he’d been waiting so long for. He steeled himself, and tried to remind himself that he would love her no matter who she was. He couldn’t look disappointed if she was some stranger, and not the sweet stuttering girl he’d finally opened his eyes to.

“Okay… open your eyes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not actually sorry this time. This scene deserves to be stretched out. Hopefully you can just be glad to know that you don’t have to wait much longer - this is the last wait before the reveal!


	12. Open Your Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nino and Alya are waiting up for their kids. Chat opens his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay you lovely wolves, I’m throwing you a bone. Try to savor it!

Alya was sitting at her desk when she got a text from Nino.

**[NL:** Hey gorgeous. Miss me already?**]**

Rolling her eyes and grinning, she quickly texted him back.

**[AC:** Always, lover boy. ;) What’s up? I’m responding to comments on the Ladyblog.**]**

**[NL:** I’m guessing that means you haven’t heard from Marinette yet?**]**

Alya leaned back in her desk chair and stretched. She went back to her text thread with Marinette to double check but it was still the eight texts she had sent and nothing in response.

**[AC:** Nope. Nada. I called and texted a bunch but I haven’t heard back. She’s probably with him right now.**]**

**[NL:** Fair. Just let me know, okay babe? You got me all nervous about it. Adrien’s gonna be crushed when she ends up marrying this guy.**]**

Alya smirked and looked over at a picture of she, Nino, Adrien, and Marinette all together that she kept in a frame on her desk. Marinette was staring longingly at Adrien. She had always wanted to see them end up together and it would be hard to let go of that for every one of the four close friends. She wondered if this new guy would fit in with them and if Adrien would then find someone else. Sadly, she also wondered if Marinette would even be able to spend time with them anymore if she was suddenly centering her days around a newborn.

She would be there for her best friend, she was determined to be. She would love that baby or hold Marinette while she cried if she decided to give the baby up for adoption… whatever was needed. Despite her determination to be the best, most supportive friend in existence, she lamented the end of their collective childhood.

**[AC:** I love you. And I love Mari, and I love Adrien. Whatever happens we’ll get through it together.**]**  
**[AC:** ...and yes I’ll let you know when she calls. :P <3**]**

**[NL:** You really are the best mom. ;) I love you too.**]**

* * *

He hadn’t heard her tell Tikki to detransform her, so he wasn’t exactly surprised when he saw Ladybug still standing in front of him, but he had expected that moment to be more revelatory. He was about to ask what was going on when he looked past Ladybug and noticed where she was standing. A cute little balcony with a pink lounge chair, a small sun shade, a string of colorful lights, and lots of plants.

Tears started flowing down Chat’s cheeks in earnest and he could no longer contain himself. “Marinette?” The name fell from his lips along with a sob and he rushed forward, unceremoniously gathering her up into a tight hug. “Oh Marinette, I’m so glad it’s you!” He kissed her several times on the top of her head before realizing she must be incredibly confused. He pulled back but couldn’t bear to be entirely parted from her and held his hands to each side of her face, gazing lovingly into her eyes.

“I’m so sorry, but you have no idea how happy I am that it’s you.”

Ladybug blinked at him, dazed. “You’re right, I don’t… uh…” her eyes darted side to side nervously. “Come inside. I don’t want to stand here for too long in case someone saw us land here.” She turned and was surprised to feel Chat grasp her hand and follow immediately behind her.

Ladybug opened the trap door to her bedroom and looked back at his hand holding her own. She was quite certain her hands were sweating and was grateful for the suit’s ability to disguise that fact. She suddenly felt faint and slipped when she went to step into her room, falling onto her bed and pulling him down on top of her.

They landed face to face and they stared at one another for a long moment, both blushing furiously. Chat was able to gather his wits about him and pushed himself up and away from Ladybug’s body. Marinette’s body. He sat on the far end of her bed, separated from her to give her space and time to recover. All he wanted was to hold her, but he didn’t want to rush her. “I’m so sorry. Are you okay, Marinette?”

Ladybug stood and reached up to close the trap door before kneeling down on the bed and self-consciously fixing her hair. Her previous air of playful self-assuredness had gone out the window and she was left feeling shocked and embarrassed. She looked everywhere but at Chat’s face and cleared her throat.

“I’m fine, it was my fault anyway.” Sneaking a peek at his face, she noticed his look of awe. “I uh… I’m surprised you’re calling me Marinette and not Princess.”

Looking down at her red-and-black-clad legs, she realized there wasn’t much of a point to staying transformed. “Tikki, spots off.”

Chat watched carefully as she changed into his kind and caring classmate, his mouth hung open. Tikki appeared in front of him and winked before flying off to give them some privacy.

“I’m… sorry.” He wasn’t entirely sure what he should be calling her, but there she was, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. All at once the brave, strong hero he’d loved for years and the kind, adorable girl who would always stand up for what she believed in. He was amazed he hadn’t realized it sooner once the comparison between the two girls merged into one in his mind. He had never loved her more.

“So…” Marinette rubbed her hands up and down her thighs and bit her lip. “Am I the only one doing this, or…?” She was trying to convey confidence and ignore the myriad of intense feelings she was experiencing. She could feel herself on the verge of tears and dug her nails into her palms in an attempt to stave them off.

Chat shook his head and forced himself to focus. Right, there was a plan. He could see the panic in her eyes and reached out to hold both of her hands. “Are you alright? Do you need a minute?”

The tears suddenly falling onto their joined hands betrayed the smile on her face. “I want to know who you are, I just…” she wanted to cover her face but didn’t want him to feel like she didn’t want to hold his hands, so she squeezed them instead. “You were so ecstatic when you realized it was me, and I… I don’t mean to be rude but I’m kind of jealous that I ended up being someone you already knew and… liked, I guess. Outside of the suit, I mean.”

She expected him to be offended. She expected him to pull away. At very least she expected that he would defend why he didn’t deserve to be placed below anyone she might have otherwise chosen to start a family with. What she didn’t expect was for him to pull her so close that she was then sitting sideways in his lap. She hadn’t anticipated that he would caress her cheek and gaze lovingly into her eyes. And she certainly wouldn’t have guessed that he would lean in to kiss her on the cheek.

“I wouldn’t worry too much about that.” He broke out in a wide grin when he saw the befuddled look on her face and then leaned in to kiss her other cheek. He was holding her, but loosely so she could move away if she chose to. “You’re adorable, you know that?”

Marinette’s heart was pounding but she relaxed into him. “I… thanks? Wait… what do you mean?”

“Plagg, claws in.”

As her brain struggled to make sense of this new information, Marinette squinted slightly at the familiar blonde boy that was holding her. Slowly, as the reality of the situation started to click into place, her breathing became erratic and she was on the verge of hyperventilating.

Adrien was worried he’d pushed her too far, having her be this close when he detransformed. Plagg flew up to Adrien’s ear and chuckled. “I think you broke the poor girl.”

“Plagg! Leave them alone! Come here, I brought you cheese.” Tikki called from her own little bed elsewhere in the room. Plagg grinned at Marinette, who looked like she was replaying every moment she’d shared with Chat over the last 24 hours in her head, and flew away to join Tikki.

She had shared more intimate moments with Chat than she had with any other boy. She had intentionally pressed her body against his in ways that she could hardly believe. She’d all but kissed his neck and had been only millimeters away from kissing him on the lips. And that was just in the last day. She’d kissed him before, more than once. She’d…

“Oh my hell. Adrien… I uh…” She adjusted herself to sit upright, but made no move to remove herself from his lap. “I…” She wanted desperately to come across as cool and collected, but tears once again defied her by spilling out of her eyes.

Adrien immediately held her head in his hands and wiped her tears with his thumbs. “I know… this is crazy. I know…” He pressed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes and rubbing his nose against hers. “But it’s a good kind of crazy, I think.”

He worried he was being too forward, pushing her too fast. He pulled back, dropping one hand and instead just tucked her hair behind her ear with the other. “I mean… I hope it is for you, too…” It came across as a question and Marinette hesitated before smiling and nodding.

“It is. I promise it is. I think I’m just in shock.” She leaned in toward him, her lips mere inches away from his. “And uh… as much as I want to just…” She swallowed and put her hands on his shoulders in an effort to keep herself from accidentally moving even closer. “Whoa, okay… I’m sitting in your lap.”

Adrien nodded and smiled. “You are. Do you need to move? I’m sorry.”

Nodding and moving to sit about a foot away from him to collect herself, she took several deep breaths and tried to steady herself. Once she felt like her breathing had regulated, she chanced a peek in his direction.

“I don’t want you to think I don’t want to be close to you…” she blushed when she realized what she was implying and started gesticulating wildly. “I… I mean, I don’t mind being close to you but I just don’t want to rush… whatever this is… and I think you’re great but this is really overwhelming and it’s weird that we’re having a baby together but we haven’t even really kissed…” The color of her cheeks deepened and she looked down. “At least... that we both remember.”

Adrien let out a nervous chuckle and ran his hands through his hair. “We could uh…” He blushed a deep red and cleared his throat. “We could fix that, assuming that your text doesn’t still apply now that you know I’m… well, me.”

Marinette looked confused and stared at him blankly, somehow not registering that he had just offered to kiss her. “Which text? I lost my phone earlier, or rather I think someone took it.”

Cocking his head to the side and looking confused, Adrien pulled out his phone and pulled up their text thread. “You uh… told me you didn’t want me to text you or talk to you at school…?”

“What?! No I didn’t! Let me see.”

Handing his phone over and incredibly glad to hear that she hadn’t sent the text, Adrien leaned back against the wall and waited for her to read and help him make sense of it.

**[AA:** Are you okay? I’ve been worried about you all morning.**]**  
**[AA:** I need you to know that I’m here for you if you need anything. You’re one of my best friends and I’ll always drop anything to be there for you. No matter what.**]**

**[MDC:** Sorry, didn’t mean to worry you. I’m okay, just dealing with a lot. We are friends, but I need some time to figure things out and I’ll let you know if there’s anything I need.**]**

**[AA:** Of course. I understand. Please don’t hesitate to call or text, anytime at all.**]**

**[MDC:** Adrien, with more time to reflect I realize I downplayed how much I need space right now. Please respect that I’d like to be left alone entirely until further notice. It’s too hard to be friends with you. Please don’t text me back or talk to me at school.**]**

“What the actual—“ Marinette looked up at Adrien with fury in her eyes that quickly turned apologetic. “Oh my gosh Adrien, I swear I didn’t send that last text. In fact I didn’t even send the first one, Alya did for me because I was feeling really conflicted, but she didn’t send the last one. I hadn’t even read your response to Alya’s text yet and then my phone went missing.”

A huge weight had been lifted from Adrien’s shoulders. “I’m so glad to hear that. I was worried you hated me and that I was losing one of my best friends.” He sat up again and reached a hand out to hold hers. “The scariest thing is that if we weren’t here now, I would have just respected your wishes and stayed away.”

Marinette squeezed his hand and felt relieved. “Wow, yeah, I wonder who would…” Something else dawned on her, shoving that train of thought to the back burner. “Oh no… Oh crap. Tikki!”

A moment later Tikki came rushing up toward them, followed by a whining Plagg. “Come on! Sugarcube and I were just getting comfy.”

Tikki rolled her eyes at him and perched on Marinette’s knee. “Ignore him. What is it, Marinette? Are you okay?”

“Tikki I messed up! I told Alya that Adrien wasn’t the father and made a whole big thing about having to move on past my feelings for him and give Chat a chance and now… well...”

“I know. I tried to warn you. But it’s okay.”

“You know? Oh Tikki I don’t know what to do.” Marinette tugged at her pigtails and looked worriedly at Adrien who didn’t seem to know what to say. “I don’t think I can tell a believable lie that will convince her that I thought it was better to lie than to just tell her that Adrien and I…” She wrung her hands together. “What do I say? ‘Sorry Alya, I wanted to cause a bunch of drama that I would just negate later when I eventually told you the truth about the father of my child’? UGH!” She lay back on the bed and grabbed a pillow to cover her face.

Adrien exchanged a look with a knowing and bemused Tikki and an annoyed and tired Plagg. Mouthing the words ‘is this normal’ he just got a sweet smile and nod from the little red kwami. She gestured for him to get closer and he obliged, turning his body and leaning on his side against Marinette’s cat pillow. When Tikki kept tipping her head toward Marinette he placed a hand on her shoulder and hoped that would suffice.

Tikki looked slightly exasperated but let it go. “Marinette, it’s okay. Plagg and I spoke with Master Fu and we agreed that if you needed to tell certain people that you’re Ladybug, we would make it work. Alya is one of the ones we felt would be acceptable.”

Adrien sighed and sat up again. “Uh… is Nino on that list? Because I think Alya talked to him. He said Alya had told him I…” He glanced over at Marinette who had just removed the pillow from her face. “That I had feelings for Marinette and I needed to back off a little because she was trying to let go of the feelings she had for me.” At that, he and Marinette made prolonged eye contact.

“Marinette, I…” Adrien turned a little more so he could get a better look at her. “I honestly had no idea you had feelings for me until today when Alya told me. I don’t actually know how I would have reacted if I had known sooner, but only because of… well… my feelings for you… as Ladybug. I hope you at least know that I didn’t mean to hurt you or make you feel…"

He pressed his lips into a tight line while he gathered his thoughts. "You said almost the exact same thing to me about Chat.” He scratched the back of his head and smiled with amusement. “I guess we’ve just been dancing around each other for years... haven’t we?”

Still laying down and seemingly unable to speak, Marinette nodded.

TIkki and Plagg had been conferring quietly for the last couple minutes while the superhero duo was coming to some realizations.

They nodded at one another and turned to face Adrien and Marinette. Tikki smiled, feeling quite confident. “Nino’s on the list, and we agree you’ll need to tell both of them. We believe they can be trusted since they’re already Rena Rouge and Carapace.”

Adrien looked back and forth between the other three. “Wait.. what?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope it was worth the wait! There’s PLENTY more of this plot to play out, so stick around!


	13. Was There Anything Else?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four friends sit down for a nice chat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay on this. It’s been a weird day with lots of ill-advised awkward social moments that I should avoid at all costs moving forward. Woo!

**[AA:** Guys, can you meet me at Marinette’s? She wants to talk to us.**]**

**[AC:** What’s going on? Why didn’t she text me herself? I’ve been trying to get ahold of her forever.**]**

**[NL:** On my way.**]**

**[AA:** Sorry Alya, I guess someone took her phone and she doesn’t know where it is. Can you come?**]**

**[AC:** I’m coming. If you get there first tell her I’m just planning to stay the night.**]**

Adrien felt bad asking them to walk to Marinette’s when it was already past nine at night, but Tikki and Plagg wanted to avoid the wrong information being shared tomorrow at school, even unintentionally.

“They’re on their way, and Alya said she’s just going to stay the night here.”

Marinette scooted toward the staircase leading down from her bed platform. “We should get down and go let them in. I don’t want them waking up my parents, and they won’t listen if they’re too busy asking why you’ve been here all this time.”

Adrien followed her as she climbed down into the remainder of her bedroom. Marinette lifted the trapdoor leading out of her room, gesturing for him to head down ahead of her. Adrien didn’t want to stop being alone with her, but Nino didn’t live very far and would be there shortly. He quietly made his way downstairs with Marinette right behind him.

Once they were in the bakery, Marinette unlocked the door before turning back to Adrien with a grimace.

Adrien’s concern was evident on his face. “Are you okay, Marinette? Do you need anything?”

Marinette walked over to the counter and hopped up to sit on it. “I need a week to catch up on all the thoughts and feelings I wish I had more time to focus on. The last two days have been… well, I don’t have to tell you.”

He knew they didn’t have long but he walked up to her, hesitantly placing himself in between her knees. He wanted to hold her but wasn’t sure how comfortable she was with him physically yet as Adrien. She may have been getting a lot more comfortable with Chat, but that didn’t mean she had quite gotten to the point where she saw both sides of him the same way.

To his surprise she scooched closer to the edge of the counter and wrapped her arms around his torso, laying her head on his chest. He still stood between her legs, and he blushed at the sudden closeness of her body and the likely unintentional suggestiveness of their position.

He wrapped his arms around her and leaned his cheek against the top of her head. Forcing himself to focus instead on the very welcome emotional intimacy of the moment, Adrien rubbed his hands gently against Marinette’s back and smiled. “After we get through this, can I stay for a bit? I know Alya said she would sleep over, and I’m not expecting anything, but I don’t think I’ll be ready to leave you. I can finally hold you like this and I’m not ready to let go.”

Marinette rubbed her wet eyes on his shirt, simultaneously nuzzling into his chest. “I feel the same way… but if I’m being honest I’m still in a daze. This barely feels real.”

Adrien pulled back and tipped her chin up delicately with his fingers to look into her eyes. “It’s real Bug, and I couldn’t be happier. I love you.”

Chat had told her he loved her so many times, but that time it felt different. It was Adrien telling her he loved her, and it didn’t do much to make the situation seem more grounded in reality.

Before she could respond in any way, she saw the outline of Nino’s dark figure approaching the door to the bakery. She quickly pushed Adrien back and hopped down from the counter, going over to open the door just as Nino reached it.

“Hey Mari, everything okay?” Marinette nodded then looked over toward the boy who she’d just been holding. Nino spotted Adrien and went over to fist bump him. “Dude, you got here quick. How’d you convince your dad to let you go out this late?”

“Easy,” Adrien winked “I didn’t ask.”

“Dang son, perfect child Adrien Agreste snuck out? Wicked. Now I feel much less hardcore after letting my mom know where I was going.”

While they laughed, Marinette stared. She hadn’t realized it before, but when Adrien was with Nino, his Chat Noir personality shined through a little more. Adrien really was Chat, and the idea was slowly starting to feel less ridiculous and impossible. While she was lost in thought, thinking how insane it was that he could so easily tell her he loved her so soon after discovering her identity, Alya walked up to the bakery and let herself in.

“Whaaat? Even you beat me here, Adrien? Did your driver bring you?”

Adrien shrugged noncommittally but luckily Alya didn’t push it, quickly making her way over to throw her arms around Marinette and kiss her on the cheek. “Are you okay? Did you talk to him? Did it go badly?”

Marinette returned the affection and briefly made eye contact with Adrien. “It went fine, but we need to talk. Can we go upstairs?” When her friends nodded in response, she smiled. “Thanks for coming you guys, just be quiet until we’re up there, okay? I don’t want to wake my parents.”

* * *

Plagg rolled onto his back on Marinette’s chaise and groaned. “Where are they? Why do humans take so long to do everything?”

Tikki flew up and hovered over him. “Oh come on Plagg, you’re just being impatient. Things are happening at least, we’re not still stuck waiting for them to stop dancing around each other.”

Plagg scoffed. “No kidding. You have no idea how exhausting it was to listen to Adrien cry over Ladybug’s rejections again and again.”

Tikki gestured toward the collage of Adrien’s face tacked up on the wall. “Oh, don’t I? Sorry Plagg, pretty sure Marinette takes home the trophy for most meltdowns regarding her unrequited love.”

Plagg pouted and was about to argue, but they heard footsteps approaching quietly, and he and Tikki went back to their makeshift bed for more cuddles.

The four friends made their way into Marinette’s bedroom and she carefully closed the trap door so as to not make too much noise.

“Okay,” she said after a sigh “sit down, this is going to be a lot to take in.”

Nino and Alya looked at each other, confused. They went to sit on the chaise as Marinette sat on the top of her chest containing years of presents for the boy she loved. Adrien stood just to the side of Marinette, leaning against the wall.

“Marinette is something wrong? We all already know you’re gonna tell us the name of this forgotten secret lover of yours, so what else is going on?” Alya was clearly about to completely lose her cool if Marinette didn’t start telling her some sort of information right away. She was desperate for answers to her long list of questions and wasn’t going to be able to hold out much longer.

Adrien looked over to Marinette when she didn’t say anything right away and saw her hands shaking. He didn’t want to speak for her, but rather help her find the courage to say what she needed to say. Sitting next to her, he reached over to take her hand. Nino and Alya both looked incredibly confused by the intimate gesture, and even more so by the distinct lack of a trademark overreaction by Marinette.

Bringing her other hand over to rest on top of their clasped hands, Marinette focused on Adrien’s eyes and the love and support found within them. “I know this is going to sound insane, but it’s him.”

Alya shook her head slightly while she tried to figure out if she’d missed something else Marinette had said. “It’s who?”

Nino rested a hand on Alya’s thigh and pointed toward Adrien with his other hand, his mouth agape.

Following the direction of Nino’s outstretched finger, Alya stared at Adrien and noted the reverence with which he regarded Marinette. His gaze was filled with adoration, and in that moment Alya’s brain temporarily stopped working.

Nino realized he was still pointing and lowered his arm. “Dude… what… how?”

Adrien grinned at his best friend and leaned closer to Marinette. “Well, when a mommy and daddy love each other very much…”

“Adrien!” Marinette pulled her hands away from him and placed them on her hips, scowling. She then turned to a still stunned Alya and waved her hands in the air. “We don’t remember it, like I said, he’s just being ridiculous.”

Alya’s eyebrows shot up and she opened her mouth several times in an attempt to make her mouth create words. Or at least sounds.

She had nothing.

“I think it’s going to be harder for them to put the pieces together if we give them one at a time like this. I think we should just tell them everything and then give them like ten minutes to think before we say anything else.” Adrien turned toward Marinette once more. “What do you think m’lady?”

Marinette looked at Nino and Alya sympathetically and nodded. “I think you’re right. This is a lot, if we wait for each piece to sink in we’ll be here all night.”

Nino bent forward and rested his elbows on his knees, his hands pressed firmly to the sides of his head. “There’s more? What, did you get married too?”

At that, Adrien felt a twinge of hopefulness in his chest. It wasn’t something they were anywhere near ready for as they weren’t even in an official relationship, but marriage was something he’d always wanted and if there was anyone he could see himself married to…

Marinette shook her head gently but didn’t seem upset by it. She glanced up at Alya to make sure she was okay and paying attention. “I didn’t lie to you Alya, I didn’t know it was Adrien until he came over tonight.”

Alya snapped out of her trance and focused on Marinette’s face. “I don’t understand… you said you talked to him to tell him you were pregnant.”

“Yeah…” Marinette sat up straighter and cleared her throat, determined to just get through the whole explanation like Adrien suggested. “I did talk to him, but he was Chat Noir at the time.”

Their best friends wore matching looks of astonishment.

“And he was upset because he didn’t know I was Ladybug yet.”

Alya snapped her eyes shut and flinched as though that bit of information had been physically thrust into her face unexpectedly.

“Also we wanted to ask if you could take over my duties as Ladybug, Alya, once it’s no longer possible to disguise my pregnancy or it becomes too dangerous to fight akumas.” Marinette smiled uncomfortably at her overwhelmed friends before coolly turning to Adrien.

“Was there anything else?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be a second part of this scene, we have a lot still to explore with Nino and Alya’s reactions, but I’m falling asleep and don’t want to make you all wait til the morning.


	14. The Calm Before the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shock, crying, laughter, and Adrien is a good egg.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. Enjoy!

“Oh shoot - I didn’t even think… did they already know about each other?” Adrien didn’t think Nino and Alya were in a place mentally yet that they could respond, so he addressed Marinette.

“That they’re Rena Rouge and Carapace? Yeah, they knew. I didn’t have time to give them their miraculous separately right before we fought Scarlet Moth… remember?”

Adrien nodded thoughtfully. It was evident that Nino and Alya were still processing so he reached out and took Marinette’s hand again. “We should talk about telling your parents… and… my father.”

Marinette’s eyes went wide. “Oh my gosh, Adrien… your father! Oh no, how is he going to react?!”

Shrugging and lacing his fingers with Marinette’s, he smiled. “I have no idea, but I think he’ll yell less if you’re with me… if you… I mean you don’t have to if you’d rather not.”

Marinette lifted their clasped hands and kissed the back of his hand softly. “Of course I’ll be there. He already doesn’t like me, the least I can do is force him to check his rage with my presence.” She scooted slightly closer to him and looked apologetic. “Unfortunately when it comes to my parents, you’ll be coming in a little late. They heard me yelling at Alya during lunch today and I may have said some… revealing things. They bombarded me with it after school and I had to tell them the truth.”

Adrien finished closing the distance between them until their legs were pressed together as they sat side by side.

“They don’t know it’s you though, and they really wanted to have you over for dinner and to talk to us together.” Suddenly Marinette gasped and covered her face with her hands. “Ugh, seriously… I can’t believe it was you when my papa was akumatized! Now it’s eight thousand times more embarrassing than it already was!”

“Oh man.” Adrien ran his fingers through his hair, nervousness written all over his face. “We don’t have to tell them I’m Chat Noir, do we? Your dad will never accept me if he thinks I already turned you down once.” He turned to face her. “I’m so sorry about that by the way. If I had known it was you…”

Marinette peeked through her fingers at him before pulling her hands away from her face and breaking out into a grin. She started giggling and linked her arm with his. “I’ve been turning Chat down for years because I was in love with you.” Her laughter increased and as he joined her in cackling over the absurdity of the situation, she found herself leaning against him and pressing her face into his neck once again.

Startled all of a sudden by Alya’s raucous laughter, Adrien and Marinette jumped slightly and turned toward her, automatically taking somewhat defensive stances. Nino started snickering at their reaction and soon the four of them were crying and clutching at their stomachs from the intensity of their mirth.

“I can’t… believe” Alya managed between bouts of giggles “that you two... have been in love with each other... for years!” She clutched at Nino’s arm and wiped her tears with his shirt sleeve. “Oh man, the amount of times I comforted Mari after you said something about the girl you loved…” She let out a deep sigh, trying to calm herself.

“You’re telling me!” Plagg flew over and plopped down on top of Adrien’s head, eliciting a sharp gasp from both Nino and Alya. “I’ve had pretty much exclusive rights to Adrien’s sob stories about how Ladybug loves someone else for forever now.”

Looking up from his cozy nest in Adrien’s hair, he saw Alya and Nino staring at him. “Oh hi. The name’s Plagg. Tikki’s here too, but you’ve met Wayzz and Trixx so you’re familiar with kwamis, right?”

Nino was the first to regain his voice. “Uh, yeah dude… but you’re like…”

“Irrefutable proof.” Alya supplied. She watched as Tikki zipped over to cuddle Marinette’s cheek. “Holy… I have to… I can’t… I can’t say anything about this on the Ladyblog! This is just cruel!”

“Yeah that definitely can’t happen if any of you want to stay safe. You’ll have even more front lines info than usual to share, but you can’t tell anyone about anyone’s identities.” Tikki landed on Alya’s knee and peered up at her seriously.

Alya nodded. “Of course. I understand.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I promise that when the time comes I will do everything I can to live up to Ladybug’s…” she looked up at her best friend “Marinette’s incredible example.” Her words were coming across strained, and Nino put an arm around her shoulders.

“You okay Babe? I’m amazed you’re so calm right now.”

Alya shook her head. “Not so much. I think I need to lie down.”

Nino scooched to the back of the chaise and gestured for her to lay on him. Alya didn’t hesitate to follow his lead. Tikki sat on the edge of the chaise next to Alya’s legs and crossed her tiny arms, thinking. “We need to find out who took your phone, Marinette.”

“Oh right,” Alya said, raising her arms in the air “you said something about that. How do you know someone took it?”

Adrien pulled out his phone, opened his text thread with Marinette, and handed it over to Alya. She and Nino both read it. “What is this last text?! Mari wouldn’t send you something like that.”

“I didn’t.” Marinette tugged at her ponytails. “But whoever took my phone is trying to get Adrien to stay away from me.”

Alya sat up more, but still leant against Nino’s chest. She scoffed and pulled Nino’s arms around her for comfort. “Okay, that just pisses me off. We’re getting to the bottom of this. Do you have any idea who it might have been? Maybe Chloé?”

Marinette shook her head. “I don’t think so. Chloé’s a brat but she would probably have been satisfied by me telling Adrien I needed time to think, and I can’t really imagine her pocketing someone else’s phone. Plus, I think I know who it is.”

Adrien placed his hand on her thigh and nodded solemnly. “I think I know too.”

Remarkably, Marinette didn’t seem phased by the intimate gesture. The pair looked at one another and said the name they were thinking simultaneously. “Lila.”

Nino and Alya stared at them, dumbfounded. Alya shook her head in disbelief. “Listen girl, I know you don’t like Lila but… she would never do something like that, she has much more important things to worry about than your relationship with Adrien.” Nino crossed his arms and nodded while his girlfriend spoke.

“Sorry dudes, Alya’s right. Lila has only ever -“ Nino was cut off by an unexpectedly angry Adrien.

“No. I’ve always just kept my mouth shut because I don’t think treating her badly will make her change, but when it comes to both Marinette and Ladybug…” Adrien gripped Marinette’s thigh tighter without meaning to. “Lila has always been manipulative and has lied about everything. I don’t know what she thinks she’ll get out of keeping me away from Marinette, but she doesn’t do anything unless it benefits her somehow.”

Marinette blushed due not only to the placement of Adrien’s hand, but also his fierce defense of her. She tried to ignore the pounding in her chest and set her gaze on Alya. “You’re forgetting something, Alya. It was one thing when I didn’t have proof I could tell you about, but now you know that Lila lied about her relationship with Ladybug.”

“I -“ Alya paused and considered. She looked over to Nino and they stared at each other silently before both hung their heads in uncertainty. “Wow. I don’t know what to think. I know you wouldn’t lie to me Mari, so I’ll keep an open mind."

"In fact,” a mischievous grin spread across Alya's face, “I have a plan.”

* * *

After a couple more hours of planning, discussing, and lots and lots of questions, Nino had decided to head home after Alya fell asleep on the chaise, citing his need to listen to music to help him think. Plagg and Tikki had long since decided to go off to cuddle by themselves.

Marinette got Alya a blanket and, after readying herself for bed in the bathroom, climbed the steps to her bed. Adrien had been awkwardly waiting for her, hoping to get to talk to her more alone. Once she crawled into bed, she looked back, expecting him to be behind her. “Adrien?”

He’d been on her bed with her before, so he wasn’t entirely sure why he was so nervous. Maybe it was her hair being down and her cute tank top and short pajama shorts. Maybe it was his sudden fixation with her bare legs… or the fact that she probably wasn’t still wearing a bra under her pajamas. He snapped himself out of it. It didn’t matter that they’d… been together before… that was not what he was there for no matter how much his hormones tried to convince him otherwise. The love of his life had just invited him into her bed… to talk… and he wasn’t about to screw that up by overthinking it into oblivion.

He speedily scaled the steps and sat at the bottom of Marinette’s bed, facing her. He watched as she turned down her blanket and slipped her legs underneath. When she saw that he hadn’t continued to make his way toward her, she frowned. “Chat. Er, uh… Adrien. You can come closer, you know. I won’t bite… much.” The smirk on her lips was playful and experimental and terrified all at once.

Adrien was absolutely dead set on not taking things too far until they had both been able to take the time to become familiar with the realities of this new situation. Until they had taken some time to date too, if he was being honest. He wanted to do this right. His own mind was still racing with the intensity and sheer amount of the revelations and emotions of the last couple days, and he could only imagine that something similar was going on in her head.

When he didn’t move, Marinette lost her patience and leaned forward to grab Adrien’s hands and yanked him closer. She had him right where she wanted him. Knelt over her body, inches from her face. Her heart was racing at an Olympic pace. This was what was supposed to happen next, right? She should just throw herself into this and get it over with… right? Everything after would feel so tame in comparison, and besides, they’d already done this.

He hadn’t kissed her yet, and Marinette was confused. Didn’t he want this? Releasing his hands and wrapping her arms around his torso, she pulled his body flat against hers and hoped he would get the message. His eyes were open wide and she could hear his breathing quicken. When she tried to get him to kiss her though, he lifted a hand and placed his fingers on her lips in an attempt to place a barrier between them and his own.

“Do…” she spoke, her words slightly muffled by his hand “do you not want me?”

Removing his hand and caressing her cheek, Adrien sighed. “Marinette, there is nothing I want more than you.” When he saw her eyes fill with tears, he knew he was making the right choice. “It’s taking all of my willpower to not kiss you right now. I want to be with you more than I’ve ever wanted anything… but we’re both too emotional to make this decision. We both need more time.”

Tears spilling down her cheeks, Marinette nodded and smiled softly. “You’re right, I’m sorry. I just thought we should… I don’t know. Get it over with, I guess. We’ve already done this and… I’m so sorry.”

Adrien removed himself from on top of Marinette and laid next to her. His heart was pounding and he knew he couldn’t keep being pressed against her if he wanted to wait to take things further. Facing her, he extended his arm and gently brushed her tears away. “My lady, you are not something to ‘get over with’, and you have nothing to apologize for. We can take this as slow as you want, but we definitely shouldn’t rush it. I love you. I know that. I want this, all of it, but first I want to take you on a proper date. Do you think that would be okay?”

Marinette nodded and grasped the hand against her cheek with her own. “That would be amazing. You’re amazing.” Her heart was swelling at the thought of this incredible boy she had practically idolized for years treating her with such respect. Part of her would marry him right that moment, but another part realized that he was right, and she needed to take things at a more steady pace.

“I’m nowhere near as amazing as you are. There’s a good reason I’ve been so enchanted for so long.” He smiled when he saw the blush on her cheeks. “I need you to know that I’m not going anywhere. If you’ll have me, I’m in this for the long haul. I want to be with you Marinette, I want everyone to know that you are who I love.”

Hesitant to actually say the words ‘I love you’ to Adrien Agreste’s face, Marinette laced her fingers with his and smiled shyly. “I feel the same way. I want this to work, mon minou.”

They talked until the wee hours of the morning about what they would say to parents, the most ridiculous places they had to transform, and stories from their childhoods. When Marinette fell asleep, Adrien held her from behind. He told himself he would just listen to her breathing for a minute, when his eyes drifted shut and he joined her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s a lot happening tomorrow - don’t you touch that dial! (I may or may not be older than most of my readers.)


	15. Don't Think I Have Ever Slept Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alya always has her camera at the ready. Breakfast with Sabine.

Shortly before six, Alya awoke with a start. It took her a moment to get her bearings, but she looked around at the familiar bedroom and sighed deeply when she remembered everything that had transpired the night before. In truth, Marinette being Ladybug made sense. It would take her some time to not be constantly freaking out internally about it, but they were one and the same, and she could see that now.

What was still throwing her for a loop was all the things Marinette had told her Lila had said and done… and threatened. It was such a vastly different view of Lila than the one she had experienced, and she was having trouble rectifying the two in her mind. She might have brushed it off as absurd if Adrien hadn’t been sitting there confirming most of what she said. It felt so silly that someone being a two-faced, manipulative jerk was somehow less believable than her best friend being a superhero.

Sitting up and wrapping the blanket around her shoulders, Alya grabbed her phone and checked the time. The chaise wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, but normally when they had a sleepover, she and Marinette would both sleep in the bed. Deciding that she could use to sleep a little longer, she made her way slowly up the steps leading to Marinette’s comfier mattress.

The sleepiness she felt was quickly eradicated upon witnessing the scene on the bed. Adrien and Marinette were facing one another, their arms wrapped around each other, and legs tangled together. The blanket had been kicked to the base of the bed at some point in the night, but Marinette didn’t seem to be cold. Her face was pressed against Adrien’s chest and their bodies were so close Alya thought maybe they’d been fused.

Alya grinned wide and lifted her phone to take a series of photos of the intimate pose two of her best friends were sleeping in. Climbing down off the steps again, she decided to play dumb.

“Marinette! Wake up, I’m gonna go use the bathroom but then we should get some breakfast and talk more before school.” She left the bedroom and let the trap door shut loudly behind her.

Adrien had opened his eyes when Alya first yelled Marinette’s name. It took him a second to orient himself, but he realized that Marinette was wrapped pretty tightly against him and didn’t want to disturb her. He nuzzled his cheek into her hair and closed his eyes again.

A moment later his eyes flew open again when the trap door slammed shut and he was panicking. “Ahh! Marinette, wake up! What time is it?!” He halfway dislodged himself from his sleepy girlfriend… wait… was she his girlfriend? They hadn’t discussed that yet. He didn’t have time to think too hard about that.

Groping around the bed for his phone, he found it and noticed the time. “Oh no. Mari, I have to go. Like, now!”

Marinette woke up more fully and blushed as she noticed she had been wrapped around his body all night. Untangling herself from him, she sat up. “What time is it?”

“It’s almost six! Nathalie usually comes in my room in about…” he checked the time once more, “ten minutes to make sure I’m up. Plagg! Where are you?!”

Upon hearing Plagg’s annoyed whine from nearby, Adrien wasted no time. He thrust out his right hand. “Plagg - claws out!”

As soon as his transformation was complete, he looked at Marinette apologetically and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. “I’m sorry m'lady. If I don’t go now I’m going to screw everything up.” He grimaced. “I wish I could stay. More than anything.”

Marinette simply nodded, still dazed, and watched Chat Noir open the trap door to her balcony and launch himself out into the early morning air.

Climbing down from bed, Marinette hoped Adrien would make it home in time. She busied herself with choosing an outfit for the day and nearly dropped everything when she heard Alya lift the door and make her way back into the bedroom. Marinette clutched at her chest and sighed. “Alya, you scared me.”

Alya wiggled her eyebrows at her best friend and took a step closer to Marinette. “Did your boyfriend head home?”

“Boyfriend? We… I mean… you saw us?”

Smirking, Alya pulled out her phone and held it out with one of the photos on the screen for Marinette to see. “Sure did girl… and he definitely looks like your boyfriend in these photos. You two are a sight to behold.”

That time, Marinette _did_ drop what she was holding as she snatched the phone out of Alya’s hand. She swiped through the photos of she and Adrien wrapped up in one another’s arms like they’d been doing it for years. She blushed deeper and deeper as she went through the series of intimate close-ups.

“Oh my hell, Alya… I can’t… I can’t believe we slept together all night.” Marinette looked completely dumbstruck, handing the phone back without looking.

“I can.” Alya looked smug. “But I do appreciate you not having sex mere feet away from where I was sleeping. And you two better make this official today, because whether you realize it or not, he is very clearly your boyfriend.”

Marinette ran her fingers through her disheveled hair. “I… yeah.” She smiled sheepishly up at Alya’s amused face. “I’m definitely still freaking out but… I don’t think I have ever slept better.”

* * *

As the girls made their way down into the remainder of the Dupain-Cheng home, Sabine spotted them. “Girls! Alya, I didn’t realize you were here!” She smiled and rushed over to kiss them both on the cheek. “Would you like some breakfast, sweetie? Marinette, I have some ginger tea for you and a croissant you can pick at.”

Alya smiled and followed Sabine into the kitchen. “Yes please! Thank you Madame Cheng. I came over late last night.”

“Thanks Maman.” Marinette yawned and walked over to the table where her tea and croissant were already waiting.

Sabine scooped some oatmeal into a bowl for Alya and brought it to the table. “Alya dear, there’s fruit on the counter, pick what you’d like and come sit down.” She sat across from Marinette and regarded her daughter with concern. “Are you feeling alright this morning, Marinette?”

“So far, yes. I slept really well.” Marinette glared at Alya when she felt her friend bump against her arm knowingly. Sabine looked back and forth between the two girls, wondering what she was missing. Alya sat next to Marinette and smiled innocently at Sabine.

“Glad to hear that, sweetheart.” Sabine spooned some of her own oatmeal into her mouth and smiled at Alya. “I assume you know about Marinette’s news?” Alya nodded then made eye contact with Marinette. Sabine reached across the table and placed her hand on top of Alya’s. “Marinette assures me that we’ll meet this boy she’ll be having a child with, but do you know him?”

Marinette nodded at Alya, giving her the go ahead, and Alya turned back to Sabine. “I do, Madame Cheng. He’s a great guy. I’m happy it’s him. You’ll love him.”

“In fact, Maman… he said he could make it for dinner tonight, if that’s okay. He’s busy all weekend, so it’s the only time unless you don’t mind waiting until next week.”

Sabine smiled sweetly. She had been so worried, but knowing that Alya approved was a huge relief. She knew Alya was nearly as protective of Marinette as she and Tom, and that made her feel much better about believing that this boy would be there for their daughter. She had so many more questions, but wanted Marinette to feel supported and not bombarded. She would have to find a way to temper Tom’s overreaction that evening.

“Of course! I look forward to it. Your father and I will make something special.”

* * *

After breakfast, Marinette and Alya went back upstairs to get their things and chat before heading to school. Alya lowered the trap door, giving them privacy.

“Okay girl, are you ready for today?”

Marinette looked at Alya skeptically. “Are you? Unless Chloé suddenly lost her mind, I know who it was already. Even Nino was agreeing with us by the time he left, but you still seemed to want to believe Lila was misunderstood.”

Alya’s face fell and she looked away. “You’re right, and I’m sorry. It’s not that I think you and Adrien are lying, I just…”

“You want to go on thinking that she wasn’t lying to _you?_ Manipulating _you?_ That _you_ aren’t that gullible?”

Alya looked up at her best friend in the world. She knew deep down that Marinette was right, but hated believing that she had been so easily duped. Slowly she nodded, half expecting Marinette to keep yelling at her. Instead, Marinette closed in and wrapped her arms tight around her.

“I get it. And I’m so sorry that she did that to you. That she’s done that to everyone.” Marinette pulled back and looked Alya in the eyes. “But that’s why we’re doing this, right? To find out for sure?”

Alya clenched her jaw, feeling angry at herself and at Lila. “And to make sure she knows better than to try to pull something like that ever again. You don’t mess with my best friend.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oy... had to cut it a little short because I know exactly how I want the next scene to start and it felt like a good chapter beginning. 😬


	16. Best Laid Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First half of the school day. Lila is kind of a creep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my personal hell, this chapter! I’m sorry it took so long but friends, I could not seem to figure this one out. Here it is though, finally!

Lila walked into the class fifteen minutes early, hoping to get to witness every potential moment of anxiety and heartbreak in Marinette’s eyes. She spotted the phone still laying underneath the seat where she left it and smirked. Only Alya, Kim, and Alix were there already, the rest would be shuffling in within the next ten minutes or so. Kim and Alix were busy chatting about an upcoming race they were preparing for, but Alya was alone. Lila walked up to her and smiled. “Good morning, Alya!”

“Oh hey Lila. Hold up a sec.” She quickly finished typing a text and then put her phone down, giving Lila her full attention. “Sorry, how are you doing?”

Lila flipped her hair back over her shoulder and smiled. “Really well. Prince Ali misses me so much that he convinced my parents to let me go visit him for the weekend. I’m heading to the airport right after school!”

Alya looked convincingly surprised. “Wow Lila! That’s amazing. You’re so lucky. Rose will be so jealous!”

Lila’s eyes flashed triumphantly. She would have to find a way to bring her weekend plans naturally into a conversation with Rose. In the meantime, she had other plans to enact. “Thanks Alya… so do you know if Marinette is feeling better? I was so worried about her after she got sick in class yesterday. I wonder if she’s so embarrassed that she won’t come today. It has to be so hard, having everyone think you’re easy.”

Alya’s calm facade almost slipped and she reached out to grip Lila’s arm slightly harder than was strictly necessary. She leaned in conspiratorially as Max and Nathaniel walked in the room. “Yeah, for sure.” She looked around as though she was making sure they wouldn’t be heard. “We’re trying to keep the whole school from knowing this just yet, but do you think you can keep a secret?”

Lila suppressed a grin and instead nodded reverently. “Of course. I would never repeat something that would hurt someone’s reputation. Especially a friend.” She smiled sweetly, really selling it.

Alya smiled solemnly and leaned even closer. “She’s been talking to an adoption agency. She doesn’t want this baby ruining her future.” Alya leaned back and removed her hand from Lila’s arm.

Lila glanced over toward where Adrien and Nino were walking into the classroom. “I won’t say anything, Alya. Excuse me - I have to use the bathroom.” As she walked toward the door she heard a snippet of the conversation the two boys were having.

“-it’s mine too, you know? I should get to be part of the decision.” Adrien hung his head as he walked to his and Nino’s table to sit. Lila spun around to stare at the back of Adrien’s head as he passed by and then quickly left the class, remembering where she told Alya she was headed.

Nino let out his held breath. “Oh my hell, dude. I couldn’t keep listening to those same two sentences and hold it together.”

Adrien looked to Alya. “Did she hear me?”

“Oh she definitely heard you. She spun around like a top.” Alya looked thoroughly amused.

Adrien sighed and sat down in his front row seat. “Good. It was the third time I said it. By the way, Marinette’s phone is under my seat so make sure she ‘finds’ it.”

Laying his head down on the table, Nino groaned. “I don’t know if I can do this, bro.”

Chuckling, Adrien patted his best friend’s back. “That’s why we didn’t give you any lines. Just stay calm and don’t say anything.” He turned around to look at Alya again. “You ready if Chloé decides to be nosy?”

“You mean when?” Alya held up her small notebook and pen. “One forced exclusive interview with the one and only Queen Bee, at your service. Every journalist has to lower themselves to a lame puff piece at some point in their career." She grinned. "And of course I’ll need Sabrina to assist.”

The remainder of their classmates filtered into the classroom along with Lila, returning from her self-imposed and probably pointless bathroom trip. Alya sent a text to the last person still missing, who had borrowed Adrien’s phone to make sure the timing was perfect. She and Marinette had been up in plenty of time to make it to school early, but they all agreed that because Marinette was more typically late, it made more sense for her to be the last one in.

Moments later, Marinette rushed into the classroom, looking as panicked as she could manage. She walked to the middle aisle and stared dramatically at Adrien, who was doing his best to avoid her gaze. In one of the few times Marinette would actually be thankful for her hormones, she was easily able to conjure up some tears. Looking away from her hopefully soon-to-be boyfriend, she scanned the classroom and pouted slightly. “Would… would someone be willing to switch seats with me for a while?”

Lila’s hand shot up so quickly that Marinette had to bite the inside of her cheeks to keep herself from laughing. Instead she walked up toward Nathaniel and looked gratefully at her nemesis. “Thanks Lila.”

As she settled into Lila’s abandoned spot, Nathaniel looked over at Marinette questioningly. All need for theatrics gone on her part for now, she smiled sweetly over at him and shrugged.

When Lila sat down behind Adrien and gazed longingly at the back of his head, Alya schooled her expression into one of gratitude instead of the mild disgust she felt. Reaching over and placing her hand on Lila’s, she smiled ruefully before leaning in and almost whispering. “Thanks. She needs some space from Adrien right now.”

Lila didn’t miss the way Adrien squirmed in his seat and hung his head, obviously having heard what Alya said. This development was unprecedented. She did some quick thinking and decided to change her strategy. Lila leaned forward, stretching to tap Adrien gently on the shoulder. He jumped slightly then turned to look at her with tears in his eyes. Once she’d seen them he brushed them away quickly. “Yeah, Lila?”

Lila’s heart went out to him. If her suspicions were correct, Adrien hadn’t even chosen any of this. Why would he willingly kiss the pathetic Marinette Dupain-Cheng much less… she didn’t even want to think about that. But now it seemed all but flat out confirmed that he was in fact the unwitting father of her inevitable devil spawn of a child. There was sweet Adrien, wanting nothing but to do the right thing, and Lila was furious that Marinette was too selfish to consider his feelings.

Lila was scheming, and had to play it just right. “I’m here for you Adrien. You deserve someone who considers how you feel and what you want. I’m here… if you need anything.” She stressed the last word and tried to look simultaneously trustworthy and sexy. Adrien’s expression was one of surprise, but settled into appreciation, and his playful smirk sealed the deal. She was sure she had him eating out of her hand.

Adrien was thankful for his modeling experience as he maintained seemingly pleasant eye contact with Lila. He was incredibly glad, however, when he was finally released from the obligation by the arrival of Miss Bustier, and he was able to turn around and ignore her again. Nino looked over at him and was clearly barely holding it together. Adrien covertly gave him a thumbs up, indicating everything was going according to plan, and hoped that he would be able to keep his cool.

After the bell rang at the end of class, Adrien and Nino hurried out of the room. Alya waited until the majority of her classmates left before walking over to the door and spinning around dramatically. “Marinette are you comi- Oh! I found your phone!” Marinette walked down towards the door as Alya knelt and grabbed Marinette’s phone from underneath the bench.

“Oh good! I was worried I’d have to get a new one.” Marinette took her phone from Alya and inspected it. The battery was pretty low, but otherwise it was fine. She and Alya walked out of the room, leaving Lila behind them smirking.

Once they were out of earshot of their target, Marinette checked her text messages and saw that the last text Adrien received was deleted from her phone. “Well, she covered her bases.” Showing the screen to Alya, Marinette gave her a pointed look. “Come on. Chloé would want me to know she’d messed with me, she wouldn’t have covered her tracks.”

Alya sighed and looked resigned. “You’re right. I’m sorry. But… at least we know, I guess.”

Marinette rolled her eyes. “The rest of us already did, Alya. This was just to confirm it for your benefit. Now comes the real goal.”

Alya leaned against the wall and folded her arms. “I really am sorry, Marinette. I didn’t mean to make it seem like I trusted her over you, I just wanted to verify your story.”

Marinette was growing impatient as they hurried to get to Madame Mendeleiev’s class before Lila. “It’s fine. Let’s just focus on our goals. I’m nervous enough about this without having to worry about your feelings. Adrien’s about to...” she focused on maintaining her composure “just… let’s get through this, okay?”

Alya stared at Marinette for a long moment, deciding that she would set the argument she wanted to have aside for another time. She understood that watching the love of her life pretend to be interested in Lila was torture, and that her hormones weren’t helping her irritability.

They entered Madame Mendeleiev’s class and Adrien looked up happily into the eyes of the girl he loved. Marinette shook her head, worried that Lila would be there any moment and he immediately changed, looking downtrodden.

A game of musical chairs took place quickly, with Alya and Marinette ending up in the back row, Nino and Nathaniel sitting in the second row, and Adrien alone in the front. When Lila came in, the only seat available would be next to Adrien. Things were going surprisingly well, considering that their planning had hinged so much on Lila reacting in ways they only hoped she would. Adrien rested his chin in his palm and looked contemplative.

Walking into the room, Lila’s eyes lit up when she saw the perfect spot next to the most desirable boy in the school waiting for her. He looked stressed but she was determined to change that. “Hey Adrien” she whispered as she slid in next to him and sat much closer than necessary. “I hope you know that you can talk to me.” She reached out and gripped his thigh under the table. “You can trust me, I promise.”

The action made Adrien’s skin crawl, but he managed to keep a straight face. He reached down and held her hand, if only to get it away from his leg. He’d have some apologizing and justifying to do later, but he couldn’t just let Lila think it was okay to keep her hand there either.

“I appreciate that, Lila. And I was thinking about what you said… that I deserve someone who considers my feelings and my… desires?” He stared deep into her eyes at that and hoped Marinette wasn’t looking. “I think I’ve found her.”

A normal person would have blushed, their heart would have raced. Lila had to suppress a victorious grin. Instead she smiled sweetly and laced fingers with the blonde boy she was working her magic on. It was pretty clear he wanted her, and she wasn’t one to make a boy wait. “Adrien… would you like to come over to my house for lunch? We could talk, and there’s plenty there you could eat.” She winked and smirked at her latest conquest.

Adrien suddenly felt like vomiting. The room was filled with loud conversation, but he desperately hoped no one had heard what she said. When they had gone over the plan the night before, none of the four friends had considered that Lila would be so forward. He couldn’t keep being in physical contact with her or his resolve would crumble to dust. He leaned over to his bag on the opposite side of him and let go of Lila’s hand, under the guise of searching for his phone, when he remembered that Marinette still had it.

He wasn’t sure what to say, and he was trying not to panic.

“Adrien - I found your phone in the hall. Sorry, I forgot to give it to you when I first came in.” Alya was standing on the opposite side of Lila, leaning over her to hold the phone out to him. He wondered how she knew to come right then when his eyes drifted over to Nino, who was giving him a thumbs up, his phone in his hand. He really couldn’t ask for better parents.

Taking his phone from Alya, he smiled gratefully. “Thank you so much, Alya. You’re always looking out for me.” She winked at him and took a couple steps away. Adrien turned his attention to his phone and then to Lila. “Sorry about that. Lunch doesn’t work for me actually, my father wants me home.”

Lila looked annoyed but quickly switched gears. “Oh, well then how about af-“

“Oh hey Adrien! Did she tell you about her amazing weekend plans? I’m so jealous. She’s flying to… oh you should be the one to tell him, Lila!” Alya was back at their table, leaning forward on her elbows, her chin perched adorably on her laced fingers.

Lila’s mask was slipping and she nearly snarled. “Yeah…” she tried to make her voice sound sweet and excited “Prince Ali invited me to spend the weekend with him because he missed me so much.”

Alya nodded enthusiastically, her mouth open in mock excitement. “And tell him when you’re leaving!”

Lila tried unsuccessfully to disguise a glare at her bespectacled interloper. “Right after school.” What was happening? Had she messed up? Was Alya onto her? Why would she be trying to… no. It couldn’t be. She’d had Alya in the palm of her hand from the beginning. This was just a fluke.

Adrien smiled at Lila and scooted a little further away. “Wow, that’s incredible. Sounds like things are getting pretty serious between you two if you’re spending all that time together.” He smiled once more at Alya before she walked away. He owed that girl something amazing after such a fine performance and impeccable timing.

Lila shook with rage but was able to calm herself and turn to Adrien. “He understands that it’s not exclusive. I wouldn’t want to limit my options at such a young age.”

Adrien wondered why Lila thought the idea of her being so willing to put out was so attractive. She was waiting for a response, but he couldn’t keep up the charade. He decided to go with the backup, hoping it would suffice. “That’s not how I feel at all. I want to get married young and start a family right away. Stop modeling and become a school teacher… just stay home every weekend with my wife and kids…” He sighed, staring off into the distance dreamily.

Lila looked affronted but was unable to respond due to Madame Mendeleiev’s arrival. She moved back to her side of the bench and rethought her strategy once again. It no longer seemed like Adrien would get her what she wanted out of life. Maybe he and Marinette deserved each other after all. The dull girl could be tied to the dull life he had in store all she wanted.

* * *

At lunch, Alya, Marinette, and Nino walked to the bakery for the lunch Sabine had promised the girls that morning. After greeting Tom, the three friends headed upstairs toward the smells of dumplings and soup.

“Whoa, Madame Cheng, it smells amazing!” Nino rubbed his grumbling stomach and licked his lips.

Marinette ran up to her mother and kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you so much Maman, you’re the best.”

“Absolutely. You kids enjoy, I have to go help Tom in the bakery.” She wrapped her daughter up in a quick hug. “Be sure to eat enough, sweetie.”

After Sabine headed downstairs, Marinette grabbed a tray and served four bowls of soup. She started lifting the tray when Alya interrupted. “Nuh uh, this is an amazing lunch and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let it get spilled all over the floor. I’ve got this. Nino, grab that bowl of dumplings and four sets of chopsticks and spoons.”

They made their way up to Marinette’s bedroom just in time to see a black figure opening the trap door above Marinette’s bed.

“Thanks for leaving it unlocked for me.” Chat Noir dropped down into the bedroom and grinned at his friends. “Plagg, claws in.”

Marinette clenched her jaw and folded her arms. “Get down here, kitty.”

Adrien practically ran down the steps and scooped his frustrated beauty into his arms. “I’m so sorry, Marinette. I hate that you had to watch that.” He set her down and cupped her face in his hands. “You’re the only one I could ever love.”

Nino and Plagg groaned simultaneously. “Get a room! And get me some cheese!” Plagg whined loudly but stopped when Adrien handed him a wedge of camembert he had stashed in his shirt pocket.

Alya finished arranging their table of food and turned to Adrien. “You pulled it off, Agreste. Not that you didn’t need a little redirection, but you’re quite the actor.”

Adrien scratched at the back of his neck and smiled nervously. “Yeah… thanks for that. She got really intense and it threw me off. I’m just glad that she backed off when we switched to plan B.”

“That’s literally what the point of plan B was.” Marinette grumbled, still frustrated by seeing Adrien get so close to someone so vile.

Adrien was about to try to reassure her again when Alya threw her hands up into the air. “Enough! It’s working… but we’re not done. Let’s eat and discuss what comes next.”


	17. Oft Go Awry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien second-guesses, and Lila is literal trash. THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS NON-CONSENSUAL KISSING AND NON-CONSENSUAL-THOUGH-NOT-OVERTLY-SEXUAL TOUCHING!
> 
> Edit: I have added ****** before and after the potentially triggering section. It's small, and far from explicit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I’m so sorry for the delay. Truly. The direction I had planned got disrupted, and it took me a bit to find the new one... but we’re back on track!

Lila groaned and rolled over in her bed. Normally she would have stayed in the cafeteria for lunch but Kim mentioned that she never seemed to have her parents around and she’d told him her mother was coming home just so they could spend the hour together. The most frustrating thing about lying was having to commit. Again and again she found that her lies had annoying consequences, and she briefly wondered whether it was worth it.

She stared up at the display of masks on the wall and considered what her life would be like if people knew the truth. They would know that her parents never had time for her. They would know that she didn’t have any of the impressive connections she claimed to. They would know that she wasn’t as helpless as she made herself out to be. She would get less accommodation and would have to put in more effort to be a success. Would she still have people vying for her attention and catering to her every need and whim?

Sighing deeply and folding her arms over her eyes, she wondered what it would be like to be able to leave behind the exhaustive practice of keeping track of the many stories she has to uphold. She wouldn’t have to make excuses for why Jagged hadn’t called her lately. She wouldn’t have to act like an invalid when she was perfectly capable of doing things for herself. She wouldn’t have to sequester herself to a lonely weekend at home while her classmates were out having fun because she was supposedly off enjoying a torrid and not-at-all-exclusive affair with a certain prince.

Sitting up, she stared at her hands and fumed. No. She’d made her choices, and going back on them at that point would be social suicide. Everyone expected her to be attending lavish events and creating memories with celebrities who were somehow indebted to her. She would have her cake and eat it too.

Clenching her fists and her jaw, she was determined. She would get what she wanted, and she wanted Adrien. She might not want his lame version of a perfect home life, but he didn’t have to know that. He wanted exclusivity and marriage and babies, and if he fell in love with her, well... it’d be only natural for such a thing to happen. She’d eventually have to break up with him but then she would be ‘the one who got away’ to a freaking supermodel. She would be able to refer to Adrien Agreste as her ex-boyfriend.

And though she had every reason to believe Marinette was having his baby, the baby wasn’t going to be in the picture after she gave it away to some rich couple. She wouldn’t have to play step-mom, and she couldn’t be more thankful for that. Kids were not her cup of tea and she couldn’t think of something more horrible than having her body ruined by a baby.

She could still get what she wanted out of this. No… she would, and no one was going to stand in her way.

* * *

Marinette was crying. She’d been crying for several minutes. Nino was at a loss, Alya was trying to pretend it wasn’t happening to avoid embarrassing her, and Adrien was not helping. He kept trying to hug her or ask her if she needed something and all she really wanted was to be given some space to just cry.

“Adrien, she just needs a minute, I think.” Alya was agitated by how off-course they’d gotten. They were supposed to be planning but then Adrien had to go and be noble and second-guess the whole point of everything they’d done that day. Adrien sat on the chaise again and slumped his shoulders. Alya sighed and covered her face. “Okay. If you don’t want to embarrass her, fine, but what do you suggest? You’re already all in, you gorgeous moron. You do realize that, right?”

Adrien nodded and shrugged. “I know, but there’s a delicate balance here. We can prove to her that messing with Marinette isn’t worth her time and not destroy her public persona. I’d like to avoid having to fight her after she’s akumatized again because we humiliated her.”

Alya took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to keep her cool. Marinette didn’t trust herself to speak and tried to stop the flow of tears by dabbing at her eyes with a pillow. The bizarre visual and the tension in the air made Nino chuckle nervously.

“What, Nino? What!?” His laugh was the tipping point for Alya, who had had enough of the indecision.

Sitting up straight and smiling sheepishly at his girlfriend, Nino flushed. “Uh… nothing, sorry.” He looked down at his phone, more in an effort to avoid Alya’s gaze than anything else. “Oh crap, babe. It’s almost time to go.”

Alya looked at the time and groaned. She threw her arms in the air and glared at Adrien accusatorially. “So what’s the plan, Agreste? Because we spent two hours talking about this last night and you didn’t seem to have a problem with embarrassing her then. Now you’ve already committed to having some pretty big, life-altering conversations as soon as humanly possible to avoid the news getting to your dad before you do, so you need to decide, my friend. Right now. Are we doing this, or aren’t we? Because the consequences are already happening, and as much fun as this has been, I’m not sure what the point was otherwise.”

Alya had been getting more and more angry and loud as she ranted, and Nino was determined to calm the situation down. “Dude, Alya’s right, and I’m not just saying that because she’ll break my fingers if I don’t. You need to decide what you want to do, and we’re out of time.”

Adrien stood and looked over at Marinette, who stared back at him, the tears having finally stopped. “I can’t… I don’t want Marinette involved. Lila already hates her, has already threatened to ruin her life. We need to show Lila that it doesn’t matter what she does, we are on Marinette’s side, and we always will be, no matter what she does. Only the three of us need to be involved.”

Alya ran her fingers through her hair, scratching at her scalp in frustration. “Okay… okay fine. Marinette, you just get to class. Nino,” she regarded her boyfriend sternly, “you’re gonna have to step up.”

* * *

Several minutes later, Chat Noir landed in an alleyway on the opposite side of the school from the bakery and detransformed. As he walked toward the school and scaled the steps, he watched Alya, Nino, and Marinette leave the bakery and head in his direction. He just wanted the stupid day to be over. He didn’t want to worry about Lila anymore, he just wanted to focus on Marinette and their future together.

Smiling as she walked closer, Adrien missed Lila come up behind him.

Lila saw where he was looking, who he was looking at. All that effort for sending the text and the lovesick idiot still couldn’t take a hint. She’d have to redirect his attention.

******************** POTENTIAL TRIGGER SECTION ********************

Grabbing Adrien by the arm and swiftly turning him toward her, she quickly wrapped her arms around the model’s neck and planted a firm kiss on his lips before he even knew what was happening.

Adrien was immediately pulling away, repulsed by Lila’s forwardness, and simply by the girl herself. Lila doubled down and continued throwing herself forward, doing all she could to keep her lips locked on his. When she felt him pulling away, she reacted quickly and jumped, knowing he would have to either catch her or let them both fall down the steps.

A moment later, Adrien had his hands clutched tightly to Lila’s waist as she wrapped her legs around his hips, his considerable strength the only thing that kept them from falling backward down the stairs. He turned his head to keep pulling away from her forcing her mouth onto his, but unfortunately that only got her to switch her kisses to his neck. He shoved her body away from his, but she had locked her ankles together behind his back and though he could push harder, he was trying not to hurt her.

“Lila, get off of me.” He said as harshly as he could while staying quiet. He was able to get her upper body to no longer be pressed against his, and the kissing had thankfully stopped.

Lila scanned the area, seeing the eyes of their classmates all on them. She smirked and leaned closer to Adrien once more. “Don’t worry, I’ll get you o—“

“NO!” Adrien yelled and forced her legs off of him, setting her down as gently as he could manage with how angry he was. “Back the hell off, Lila.”

***************** END POTENTIAL TRIGGER SECTION *******************

He quickly rushed over to where Marinette was crying again. He reached out to touch her, but she turned away from him and ran into the school. Alya held up a hand to indicate that he should give her space, and then followed her best friend to give her comfort.

Nino walked over to Adrien, watching Lila over his best friend’s shoulder. “Dude, what the hell was that? She full-on threw herself at you.” Lila was glaring at the back of Adrien’s head, and other students were closing in around her and asking her why she had done such a thing. Her plan had backfired, and now she’d have to explain why Adrien would have such a strong negative reaction to her advances.

One thing was for sure - someone was going to pay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew... don’t worry, this school day isn’t over.


	18. Dig My Grave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lila takes things to a new low.

Marinette barely made it into the girls’ bathroom before she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Alya rushed into the room behind her and slammed the door shut, locking it. Tikki flew out of Marinette’s bag and checked the stalls. “We’re alone.”

“Good.” Alya walked up to Marinette and placed a hand on her shoulder, only to have it shrugged away forcefully. Sighing, she took a step back and gave her best friend a little space.

“Marinette, we understand why you’re angry, but you have to try to remain calm.”

Marinette whipped around to face her two best friends in the world, and grit her teeth. “I AM trying, Tikki. I’m just so ANGRY! How could she _do_ that? And how could he just… UGH!” She balled up her fists and paced furiously.

“No way girl, he was clearly not okay with what Lila did. He did what he could to get her off of him.” Alya crossed her arms and cocked her hip to the side. “Believe me, I’m pissed about what happened too, but don’t take it out on Adrien. He loves YOU, M.”

Tikki flew in front of Marinette’s face and held her arms out in front of her, causing the girl to stop in her tracks. “Marinette, stop. I hate that girl. We all do. But you don’t need to add an akuma to this situation. Alya’s right. Adrien loves you, and that horrible girl will get what’s coming to her without you losing your cool.”

Alya took a couple steps closer to Marinette as she saw the fury leave her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Hey. It’ll be okay. Lila’s going to have a hell of a time lying her way out of this one, and once she knows Adrien only has eyes for you, she’ll back off.”

Turning and burying her face in Alya’s shoulder, Marinette groaned. “Or she’ll just treat me even worse because I got what she wanted.” Her muffled voice sounded less angry than before, and she wrapped her arms around her motherly friend. “Alya, I don’t know if I can even look at him right now. I’m just going to keep picturing her wrapped around him and kissing his neck.”

Neither of them knowing exactly what to say to that, Alya and Tikki both held onto Marinette and tried to comfort her.

* * *

Once Alya had coaxed Marinette out of the bathroom, they were surprised to see only a few students inside on their way to classes. Hearing shouting from outside, they both decided to go see what was going on, in case there was an akuma.

“-need to get to your classes, children!” Principal Damocles was standing in the midst of a ruckus just outside the front entrance of the school. Lila was standing at the top of the stairs, trying desperately to explain away the ridiculous accusations being thrown at her by Adrien, who had entirely lost his patience with the duplicitous girl. He had been defending the need to protect her ill-gotten image not half an hour previous, and yet there he was, destroying it.

“No, he’s lying! Why would I make something like that up? That’s ridiculous. If it wasn’t true, I agree, it would be completely unbelievable.” Lila was looking to people who had once revered her and all she saw was disappointment and detestation. Glaring at Adrien, the current receiver of all her hatefulness, she grit her teeth and tried a different direction. “He’s just pushing me away and saying all these crazy things because Marinette’s trying to get him to believe her baby is his. I was just in his bed _last night._ He’s in denial.”

Adrien suddenly lunged toward Lila, and luckily Nino was strong enough to hold him back from actually getting close to her. Adrien tried to pry Nino’s arms away to no avail. “How dare you! Marinette didn’t lie and I have never even willingly touched you!”

Alya watched as Marinette rushed down the steps toward Adrien, presumably to help calm him and back him up. She watched as Lila turned and smirked when she realized Marinette was there. She noticed too late as Marinette tripped over the foot that had been thrust into her path.

All at once, several bodies dove to try to catch Marinette. Alya was too far away, and Adrien had been momentarily detained by Nino, who had been focused on holding him back and didn’t notice Marinette’s fall.

By some miracle, Ivan and Mylène had been walking up the stairs and, taking the next several steps two at a time, Ivan just managed to catch Marinette before she slammed into the hard concrete. Slamming his knees down into the stairs, Ivan hugged Marinette to his chest as Mylène rushed their side.

“Marinette, are you okay?” Her friends spoke almost in unison, and the fear in their eyes made the situation more real. Marinette looked around as Adrien reached her side and caressed her cheek.

Once Adrien had confirmed that Marinette was unharmed, he whipped around and scanned the top of the stairs for Lila. Alya was already screaming at her, with Nino standing close by. Adrien was seeing red. He couldn’t believe what was happening. He ran up to her and wanted to hit her, to strangle her for trying to hurt his family. He honestly might have, but he was stopped by Nino, who quickly pulled him to the side away from Lila, Alya, and now Principal Damocles.

“Let’s get inside, dude. Alya’s gonna tell Mr Damocles what’s up. When you’ve had a chance to chill, you can talk to him too.” Nino pulled his best friend into the school with a good amount of force, Adrien fighting him the whole time. As soon as he had him inside the school, Nino pushed Adrien against the wall and held him still until he was no longer straining to get loose. Once Adrien relented and slunk down to the floor, Nino sat as well, thoroughly spent after holding back his incredibly strong friend.

Adrien pulled his knees against his chest and buried his face in his folded arms as he started to cry. “I wanted to kill her. What the hell was she thinking? She could have killed Marinette. She could have…” His voice hitched and he sobbed. “I can’t lose her, Nino. I just barely found her.”

Nino closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around his distraught best friend. “Mari’s okay, bro. You just owe Ivan dinner or something.” He pulled back and smiled at Adrien, who looked up with tears in his eyes.

“Screw that. When he marries Mylène, I’m buying every single thing on their wedding registry.”

The front door of the school opened and Principal Damocles walked in, his hand clutched tightly around Lila’s arm as he pulled her along. Mademoiselle Bustier followed closely behind them, having gotten involved at some point in the last few minutes. They made their way up to the Principal’s office as Alya and Marinette walked into the building ahead of everyone who had been present for the craziness outside. Alya spotted the two boys sitting on the floor and pulled Marinette over to join them.

Marinette was still in a bit of a daze, but when she saw Adrien on the floor, she immediately went to him. He folded his legs as she threw herself into his arms and kissed him firmly on the cheek. “Are you alright, chaton? I’m so sorry.”

Adrien was floored. “Are you kidding? What are you sorry for? Lila just -“ Marinette clamped her hand over Adrien’s mouth and shook her head.

“I’m fine, Adrien. I don’t know why she… but I’m fine. I’m just glad Ivan was there.” Marinette pressed her forehead against Adrien’s as he nodded solemnly and embraced her.

Nino stood and went over to Alya, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend. Alya was shaking with rage. “That girl better get expelled over this. I’ve been expelled over less.”

Nino rubbed Alya’s back comfortingly and kissed the top of her head. “Hey, whatever happens babe, she can’t fool us anymore. This was way worse than what we had planned - she dug this hole for herself.”

Miss Bustier came down the stairs and walked up behind the four friends. “Alya. Nino. Please go talk to Principal Damocles, he’d like to hear what happened from your perspective.” She walked closer to Marinette and Adrien as the other two walked away. “Are you alright, Marinette? Are you hurt?”

Marinette pulled herself off of Adrien and sat next to him. “I’m fine, Miss Bustier. Thank you. Ivan caught me.”

Caline clutched her hands over her heart and sighed. “I’m so glad. You should probably see your doctor and make sure…” She gestured vaguely toward Marinette’s abdomen and hesitated.

Adrien turned and looked at Marinette, his brow knit in apparent concern. Reaching out to take his hand, Marinette smiled and pulled both of their hands to rest on her belly. Not taking her eyes off the sweet blonde boy, she addressed her teacher. “I will, but I’m sure everything’s perfectly fine. Thank you Miss Bustier.”

Glancing back and forth between two of her favorite students, Caline smiled and nodded. She had always secretly hoped they would end up together, and it made her happy to see a relationship come to fruition. “Just wait here, both of you. After he’s finished talking with Nino and Alya, Principal Damocles will want to speak to you as well.” She excused herself and climbed the stairs toward the office where Lila was facing the reality of what she had done.

Walking into the room, Caline pulled the door shut behind her, just after an unseen purple butterfly made its way in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *hangs head in defeat* Here we go.


	19. If You Can't Say Something Nice...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lila finds a way to make everyone stop saying anything bad about her. Hawk Moth gets a news flash.

“Marinette?” Adrien slid closer to her, the two of them still sitting on the floor. When she looked into his eyes, he momentarily forgot what he was going to say, entranced by her beauty. She smiled at him and nodded, encouraging him to say whatever he needed to. He cleared his throat and took both of her hands. “I’m so sorry. I promise there’s nothing I wanted less than to have Lila… I’m so upset about what she did.”

He looked down, feeling ashamed, but squeezed her hands tighter. “I don’t want to kiss anyone but you. I don’t want anyone but you to… to…”

Pulling on his arms for leverage, Marinette rose up onto her knees and wrapped Adrien’s arms around her back. Moving closer until her knees were planted firmly on either side of his crossed legs, she took his face in her hands and stared into his eyes, her mouth hung open slightly. “Adrien. It wasn’t your fault.” She leaned forward and pressed her forehead against his, closing her eyes.

“I’m upset about it too, but I want to just put it behind us… if that’s okay.” Marinette pulled back slightly so she could look into his eyes again and hoped he would forgive her for being so angry with him when Lila kissed him. Adrien pulled her body closer so her chest pressed against his, causing her face to be much closer to his again as well. He nodded slowly as a nervous smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. Marinette wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in, her lips barely an inch from his.

“RUN!” Alya came bounding toward them, tugging Nino behind her. Adrien and Marinette stood quickly, both frustrated at the interruption, but focused on the task at hand.

The four of them ran outside the school and across the street to an alley near the bakery before they stopped. Marinette turned to Alya and Nino and donned a determined stance. “Akuma? Is it Lila?”

Alya nodded vigorously, looking scared. “I saw the butterfly land on her and just grabbed Nino’s hand and took off. I have no idea what she looks like or what she can do, we didn’t stick around that long, but we know who you are. Both of you. We can NOT risk Lila, or especially Hawk Moth, finding out.”

“That was smart, you two stay out of the school until Ladybug purifies the akuma.” Adrien narrowed his eyes at Alya. “I mean it. Don’t come running in to take photos.”

Marinette looked somberly at Tikki, who had flown out of her bag. “She’s going to be after me and Adrien. She’s mad he turned her down and humiliated her and probably blames me for it.”

Tikki nodded. “You’re absolutely right, so it’s a good thing Marinette and Adrien won’t be around for her to hurt.”

“Yeah guys, let’s get this over with. Stop worrying!” Plagg flew out of Adrien’s shirt and popped a small bit of cheese into his mouth.

Adrien and Marinette looked at each other and grinned determinedly. They nodded and quickly transformed.

Nino and Alya shared a glance. The experience was surreal, and they still weren’t used to this new reality of theirs. Seeing their best friends turn into Paris’ Heroes was going to take some getting used to. They quickly wished their friends luck and watched as they rushed back toward the school.

“I wish we were going with them.” Alya reached out and took Nino’s hand, worried about their friends.

“Me too, babe, but they do this all the time.” He leaned in and kissed Alya on the cheek. “Our babies have been all grown up all this time and we didn’t even know it.”

Alya smiled at her boyfriend and leaned her head on his shoulder. “I love you, you nerd.”

“I love you too, Alya.”

* * *

Chat Noir kicked open the front door of the school and started spinning his baton, fully expecting a frontal assault. Ladybug stood just behind him, her yo-yo swinging around in a circle. When they saw no one, they lowered their weapons and glanced at one another, confused.

Not knowing quite what to expect, Ladybug gestured toward the stairs leading toward Principal Damocles’ office. Chat nodded and silently and slowly ascended the staircase, with Ladybug carefully making her way up the stairs backwards behind him. They looked every which way, trying to spot any clues about what to expect from the akuma. Once they stood outside the Principal’s office, they faced one another and prepared to bust into the room. Chat reached out and held his hand just above the handle, ready to open the door on Ladybug’s signal. She held up three fingers, then two, then…

Chat slammed the door open and the two of them launched themselves into the room, landing in defensive positions on either side of the chairs facing the desk. Principal Damocles sat in one chair and Miss Bustier in the other. Their eyes wild and their hands clamped over their mouths, they looked frantically back and forth between the two heroes and toward the desk chair that was turned away from the four of them.

Ladybug swung her yo-yo to wrap around the swivel chair and spin it around. When they could finally see who was there, Chat gasped. They had expected Lila to have donned a garish outfit and a ridiculous name, but sitting in the chair was just… Lila.

“Lila?” Ladybug looked at her questioningly. “You know, I’ve always been so jealous of you.”

Clamping her hand over her mouth, Ladybug looked over at Chat and shook her head. She hadn’t meant to say that. They weren’t the words she had thought when she went to speak, but they were what came out.

“Lila’s so much better than you, Ladybug.” Chat's eyes shot wide open and he waved his arms in front of him, indicating that the words were not his as he looked apologetically at his Lady. He turned to Miss Bustier and Principal Damocles and pointed toward the door, telling them to go. They stood and rushed out of the room. Once the room was theirs, Ladybug pulled Lila closer to herself, her yo-yo still wrapped tightly around the girl and the chair she sat on.

“Marry me, Lila!” Ladybug scowled and reached down to pull Lila’s necklace off and crush it in her hand. Nothing happened, and she looked for what else the akuma could be in.

“My my, you two. You’re both such flatterers.” Lila grinned to herself and crossed one of her legs over the other, trying to get more comfortable. “However I’m afraid my heart belongs to another, Ladybug. Though Adrien has been a little preoccupied with the little harlot that’s carrying his baby. At least for now. Have you seen Marinette, by the way? I have some unfinished business with her.”

Ladybug lifted her hand to stop Chat as he lunged toward Lila with a fist raised. Chat growled and glared at Lila.

A purple mask covered Lila’s face for several seconds and she grinned. “Oh, you didn’t know? Not sure why you care, it’s as good as gone anyway. Let me get what I want, and then you’ll get what you want.” She smiled sweetly up at Ladybug as she tore the ribbons from Lila’s wrist one by one, no akuma to be found. “I’m afraid you won’t find what you’re looking for here.”

An idea occurred to Ladybug and she unraveled her yo-yo from around Lila and ran out of the room, pulling Chat along with her. Once they were out of the room, she started speaking as they continued toward the door out of the school. “Lila’s so amazing, and I wish I was good enough for -ar enough away!” Ladybug stopped short and Chat slammed into her side.

“Sorry m’lady.” Chat opened his eyes wide. “Ah! I’m saying what I want to say again!”

Ladybug watched as several students ran toward them, mostly saying wonderful things about Lila, some with their mouths covered and shaking their heads. They all came to the same conclusion once they got closer and could say what they wanted again.

“Get outside, all of you. I don’t think this akuma is dangerous, but it doesn’t seem to have any control over you if you’re far away.” Ladybug watched as Lila walked out of Principal Damocles’ office and snagged the back of a shirt of a boy who was hurrying past. He tried to pull away, looking scared. Lila leaned in and forcefully kissed him and he immediately stopped pulling away. Instead he looked like he wanted nothing more than to get close to her, but she pushed him away and started down the stairs.

Chat cringed and took several steps further away from Lila. “Ugh, what is it with her and kissing people? First as Chameleon and now… why?”

Ladybug told the growing group of students to get away from the school and not let Lila touch them.

“Come to think of it, she just looked like herself at first that time too, but she didn’t change when she kissed that boy.” Chat was still backing away, trying to think of where the akuma could be. “She had been an oyster when you found the akuma the last time she was akumatized, and I don’t think she’s in the habit of carrying around a pearl. You already broke her necklace, so where could it be?”

Yanking on Chat’s arm to pull him out the door with her, Ladybug moved the two of them further away from Lila as she watched her kiss several more passersby. “I don’t know where it really was when she was Chameleon. Maybe it’s the same place?”

“Don’t worry Bugaboo, this cat’s got it in the bag. I need to get close to her, just don’t listen to anything I might say.”

“How is that any different than what I usually do?” Ladybug winked at her partner, hoping he knew she was joking. “Go get ‘em, tiger. And don’t let her kiss you.”

“Never again, my love.”

Ladybug blushed as Chat launched himself toward Lila with his baton. She snapped out of it quickly and tossed her yo-yo, swinging herself to the second floor just as one of Lila’s devotees was about to grab her. She watched as Chat charged toward Lila, only to be subverted by several boys who were suddenly hopelessly in love with someone they barely knew.

“Back off, Lila’s mine!” Chat dodged their attacks easily and rolled his eyes, annoyed at the words coming out of his mouth.

Lila laughed, thoroughly amused with this side effect of her akumatization. “Keep them busy, loves.” Lila sent her two new lackeys over toward Chat as she wandered off to find more people to kiss.

Ladybug jumped down to help Chat when he had gotten hit a couple times by the increasing horde of love-sick students and teachers. “Chat, where did she go?”

Grunting as he was hit in the stomach with someone’s makeshift weapon, Chat used his baton to sweep the feet out from under a few more of their assailants. “Far enough away that you didn’t just declare your undying love for her again.”

“This is getting ridiculous. We need to get to her, tie her up again, and find the akuma. It has to be on her, she didn’t even transform into anything or leave the Principal’s office before we got there.”

Chat skidded across the floor after a larger boy managed to smack him with what looked like a table leg. “You’re right my lady, but these opponents are proving more fur-midable than I initially thought. We might need a hint.”

Ladybug leapt away from two girls who tried to tackle her and considered. “Nino and Alya! They saw the akuma land on Lila. They’ll know where it is!”

Blocking a few more blows and listening to an older teacher talk about his apparent upcoming nuptials with the object of his affection, Chat grit his teeth and fought harder. “Go, Ladybug. I’ll hold them off.”

Ladybug hesitated for just a moment before running off to find answers.

When she got outside, she found a lot of people just standing nearby casually. “You need to get further away! If you get kissed you’ll be added to the growing number of obstacles in our path to defeating this akuma. Run!” She didn’t stick around to hear their responses, throwing her yo-yo and swinging to the alley where she last saw her friends.

“Alya! Nino!” She looked around for them frantically, to no avail. Swinging up to the rooftops, she scanned the area. Unfortunately, there was still a large congregation of students and school faculty close to the school. She leapt to the roof of the bakery and spotted Alya walking down the street hand-in-hand with Nino. Swinging over to them, she landed in front of them with a thud.

“AHHH!” Nino fell back and nearly took Alya with him.

“Sorry guys, we’re having a hard time finding Lila’s akuma. Where did you see it land?”

Alya took a moment to catch her breath and help Nino to his feet as she thought. “Uhh… it was the side of her face? Maybe one of her hair ties? Or an earring?”

Nino dusted off his backside and adjusted his cap. “Oh for sure. An earring, without a doubt.”

Ladybug whipped out her yo-yo once again. “Thank you! I’m sorry I scared you. Stay away from the school, Lila’s making everyone love her.” She was gone before either of them could respond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was getting long, so I split up the battle. It will end in the next chapter, then we can move on from the exhausting BS that is writing about Lila Rossi.


	20. Don't Say Anything At All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second half of the akuma battle - Lila is still a huge creep. THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS NON-CONSENSUAL KISSING AND NON-CONSENSUAL-THOUGH-NOT-OVERTLY-SEXUAL TOUCHING!
> 
> Edit: I have added ****** before and after the two potentially triggering sections in this chapter. The first is longer and more upsetting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys - writing this was painful for me. I’m so sorry for Lila’s actions... trust me, I hate them as much as you do.

Chat was pinned. He had fought off nearly thirty students and teachers, and more had come. He had punched or kicked nearly everyone he could see in the vicinity, but their devotion to Lila gave them the ability to ignore their wounds and soldier on. He could see his baton laying mere feet away and tried to think of a way out of his predicament.

He couldn’t use his cataclysm because Lila was close, and the only things that came out of his mouth were words that made him want to vomit. He struggled against his captors, managing to bite whoever was holding down one of his shoulders. She ignored it and mumbled something about Lila’s beauty.

Lila slowly walked over to Chat’s baton and bent over to pick it up. She flipped it in the air and caught it again, grinning wide. “It’s lighter than I thought it’d be.”

******************** POTENTIAL TRIGGER SECTION ********************

She practically skipped as she made her way towards Chat, and without hesitation, she plopped herself down to sit on his torso, facing him with a cruel look on her face.

A low growl in his throat, Chat glared at the manipulative girl, his every instinct screaming to get away from her. He watched as she leaned over and played with his ring as several of her devotees incapacitated his right arm.

“I’d take this now, but I think you can be of use to me.” She set his baton down in the middle of his chest and ran her hands up and down his torso. “I’ve always wondered what it would be like to touch you like this. Your suit leaves very little to the imagination, and I can’t say I haven’t had my way with you in my more indulgent daydreams.”

Chat’s growl turned into a guttural yell, and he bucked, trying to get Lila off of him. “I love you!” Saying such a disgusting thing only made him more angry. He had meant to tell her he hated her.

Lila was undeterred. She stretched her body out to lay against him despite his struggle, pressing her face into his neck and nipping gently with her teeth. “Don’t worry, kitty. That will be the truth before long.” She sat up again and took his face in her hands, doing her best to still him. As she leaned in with her lips slightly parted, Chat doubled his efforts to escape. He tried to roll, pulled at the bonds holding his limbs, and struggled to turn his face away from Lila.

He felt a couple students come help hold his head still and he shouted, tears starting to fall from his eyes. He was failing Ladybug again. He was going to break her heart all over again. He wasn’t sure he could bear to see her cry over his perceived betrayal again.

In one last ditch effort, Chat tugged on his arms with all his might, just managing to pull one loose as Lila’s lips made contact with his own.

The arm he had loosed relaxed, and he wrapped it around Lila, pulling her body firm against his own. Lila’s other lackeys removed themselves from him, allowing him to properly hold her and deepen their kiss. He rolled them both over and began kissing her neck and caressing her body up and down, feeling a pull toward her unlike any he ever remembered feeling before.

Lila smirked with self-satisfaction. “As much as I love this, you’re going to have to wait. I have a job for you first, and then you can have me in whatever way you want.”

Chat kissed her fiercely once more before pulling away, savoring the taste of her lips and tongue. “I can’t wait, my lady.”

***************** END POTENTIAL TRIGGER SECTION *******************

* * *

Swinging back toward the school, Ladybug spotted a small group of students still loitering outside the front doors. She landed near the door and pulled open the handle, unable to take the time to escort them from the premises. “Hey you guys - get out of here, seriously!” She barely spared them a quick glance before she rushed into the school.

She didn’t notice when the students from outside walked in and shut the doors behind them, barricading the doors with their bodies.

Ladybug spotted Chat running along the railing of the second floor above her. “Chat! I know where the akuma is. Where did Lila go?” She dodged a few attacks and swung herself up to land next to Chat on the railing.

Looking at her with a sly smile, Chat scooped Ladybug up into his arms and used his baton to launch both of them to the railing on the other side of the room, away from several diehard Lila fans. “Chat?” Ladybug looked at him questioningly as he set her down on the rail next to him. “Do you know where she is? We need to get this over with.”

Seconds later, Chat’s baton made contact with the side of Ladybug’s skull with a sharp crack. The force of the hit caused her to fly back and she slammed into the floor below, cracking the tiles underneath her body. A large group of teachers and students rushed toward her and she barely managed to gather her wits about her and snapped out her yo-yo to wrap around the upper railing and pull herself out of their grasp.

Clinging unsteadily to the outside of the railing, Ladybug looked around frantically, trying to make sense of her surroundings. Her head was pounding, and she startled when she felt something warm and wet drip into her ear. She lifted her shoulder and wiped her ear against it, hoisting herself over the railing and running further away from Chat. She needed to find Lila and end this. She ducked into a second-floor classroom which was thankfully empty and threw her hand into the air to call upon her lucky charm.

“Lila, I need y—“

She screamed and spun around, looking for where Lila could possibly be that she couldn’t say what she needed to say. Running back out of the room, she clenched her jaw, angrier than she’d ever felt before. A sharp jab to the hip knocked her off her path but she managed to stay on her feet.

Chat didn’t hesitate to come at her again, his baton raised. Ladybug took a few steps backward, trying to figure out what to do next, when she bumped into a large figure behind her. Before she could adjust, the gargantuan person had her in a headlock, and she saw Lila step out into the hallway next to Chat.

******************** POTENTIAL TRIGGER SECTION ********************

His whole demeanor changed, and he lowered his baton, slinking against the object of his manufactured affections. Ladybug watched as he desperately clung to her and kissed her like he needed to in order to survive. It was disgusting, and Lila reveled in watching Ladybug’s reaction.

Lila let herself indulge in Chat’s affections for a moment, scratching her nails down his back before roughly grabbing his rear end with both hands, her eyes on Ladybug all the while.

***************** END POTENTIAL TRIGGER SECTION *******************

The sound that escaped Ladybug’s mouth was animalistic as she twisted her body and threw the large boy, who turned out to be Ivan, off of her. She threw out her yo-yo and slammed it as hard as she could into the side of Lila’s head. She fell to the ground, taking Chat with her, and a moment later a purple butterfly flew out of the earring that had snapped with the force of Ladybug’s blow.

Hurriedly snatching the akuma up with her yo-yo, Ladybug ran back into the classroom she had taken shelter in previously and threw herself out a window, shattering the glass. She needed to get away, she needed to purify the stupid akuma, and she needed someone calmer than herself to tell her how she should feel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 😭😭😭 It’s done. She can’t hurt us anymore. *curls up into a ball and cries*


	21. Comfort in the Unfamiliar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aftermath of the akuma. Some emotional healing for us all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The response after the last chapter was a bit on the intense side. We all need a reprieve from the angst.

“Miraculous Ladybug!”

Alya and Nino were running toward the sound of Ladybug’s outcry. They had heard her call on a Lucky Charm and had already been looking for her. When they heard her sobbing, they knew they were close. Turning a corner, they saw her. She was slumped down onto her knees and covering her eyes with the palms of her hands as she cried.

“Ladybug!” Alya ran up and crouched next to her, throwing her arms around her best friend. “Are you okay? What happened at the school?”

Uncovering her eyes and leaning into Alya’s embrace, Ladybug suppressed another sob and wiped the tears from her face. “I’m fine. I’ll be fine. Chat Noir… I need to go back.”

Alya looked up at her boyfriend with concern. “Nino, you get to the school and check on Chat Noir. We’ll be there soon.”

Nino nodded resolutely and turned to run, suddenly very worried about his best friend.

“Let’s get somewhere a little more private and you can detransform.” Alya stood and held a hand out to Ladybug. “Tikki might be able to help explain the situation, too.”

Ladybug took the offered hand and stood, surprised when she was no longer dizzy after the head injury she sustained. The two discreetly made their way to a secluded alleyway and Ladybug became Marinette once again. When Tikki appeared, Alya was stunned to see the happy little kwami looking so angry.

“That GIRL! You need to get back to the school, Marinette. You need to explain everything she’s done so she’ll never be allowed to step foot there again!”

Marinette hung her head. “She’s protected, Tikki. People can’t be held responsible for what they did when they were akumatized.”

Tikki zipped back and forth in a mid-air version of pacing. “She wasn’t akumatized when she threw herself at Adrien. She wasn’t akumatized when she tried to hurt you and the baby.”

Alya grabbed Marinette by the upper arms and leaned in close. “She’s right, Marinette. She needs to be held accountable for those things. She could have killed you.” She looked down at Marinette’s midsection. “Either of you.”

Looking once more like she would cry, Marinette’s eyes went wide and she stared at Tikki. “The baby. I hit the floor so hard, and then Chat hit me in the hip...”

Tikki flew quickly to Marinette and nuzzled her cheek. “The baby is fine, Marinette. When you’re transformed, I’m very attuned to your body, and you’re far enough along that I can sense the baby. The heartbeat is strong, and the movements are nearly constant.” Tikki smiled, the thought comforting. “Your baby is very strong already, and perfectly healthy. The adjustments I made to your suit have done a good job of keeping you and your little one safe.”

Sighing in relief, Marinette pulled Alya into a hug and the three of them embraced one another for a minute before Alya pulled back. “Okay, so I gather that Chat attacked you? Does that mean Lila got to him?”

Marinette looked away, her jaw clenched tight. It took her a moment of seething before she could speak. “Yeah, he uh…”

Alya held up a finger to stop Marinette. “No. _She._ Don’t do this to yourself again. _He_ would never hurt you. Ever. You and I both know that. Now what did _she_ do to _him?_ Because whatever actions he performed while under her influence were not his own, and _she_ is responsible for every one.”

Looking down at her feet, Marinette wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly ashamed.

Tikki was fuming again, replaying the disgusting things Lila did in her head. “Alya’s right, Marinette. Lila made him manipulate you and attack you. She made him believe he was in love with her, and she took advantage of that when she was all over him like that.” Tikki shuddered, absolutely repulsed by the memory of what Lila had done.

A wave of nausea hit Marinette and she ran to a trash bin at the end of the alley and vomited. Alya caught up to her and rubbed her back.

Grimacing, Alya gathered her thoughts and sighed. “So she assaulted him. Again. Do you think he remembers what happened?”

Marinette spat into the trash bin, trying to clear the taste of bile from her mouth. “She had to kiss people to turn them into her slave army, so he at least remembers that, however it happened. But the rest… I don’t think so. I hope not. He would hate himself. For hurting me… for everything.”

“Then you need to be by his side, Marinette. He’s probably freaking out about what might have happened after she kissed him and every minute you’re letting yourself be hurt by something he was coerced into is a minute where he wonders if things he had no control over ruined his entire future with the woman he loves.” Alya stared intently at her best friend, trying to fully convey the seriousness of the situation.

“That woman is you, by the way. He is head over heels for you, and he needs you right now. I’m positive that seeing what you saw was horrible… heartbreaking. I’m so sorry Lila did that to you, but you need to try to set it aside because the man you love was just taken advantage of and he needs to know that your feelings haven’t changed.”

Marinette was crying by the time Alya finished laying into her. She felt ashamed. “I… I just wish I could erase it from my memory, Alya. You’re right, I don’t want to hold it against him or make him feel worse, but the way they... kissed… The way they touched each other…” She covered her face with her hands again. “And she wasn’t just some akumatized version of herself, Alya, she was just her. She was just Lila, with her tongue down the throat of the person I’m having a baby with. And Lila just stared at me, she wanted to see me be hurt by it.”

Alya pulled Marinette into another hug and kissed her cheek. “I’m so sorry. You have every right to be hurt by that. We can talk about it as much as you need to, and you can be upset about what she did for as long as you need to be.”

Pulling her hands down from her face, Marinette wrapped her arms around Alya. “Thanks. I’ll definitely need to talk about it more, but you’re right. Adrien needs me to be strong and show him that I don’t feel any differently about him just because Lila’s the worst person ever and keeps targeting him both in and out of the suit.”

Alya could feel Marinette start to shake and pulled back. “Yes, girl! All this anger is for Lila, and if we have anything to say about it, we’ll never have to deal with her again. Let’s get back to the school.”

Marinette nodded, feeling better and much more confident. Alya pulled a water bottle from her backpack and handed it to Marinette. “Here, rinse your mouth.”

* * *

Despite everyone being back to normal and all the damage being repaired, the school was in chaos. All the students and staff were abuzz, talking about their experiences during Lila’s reign of terror. Many were crying, feeling violated and dirty. Several students were discussing where exactly they hoped Lila would go; somewhere warm, and they didn’t mean a nice beach. After the news of the way she forced herself on Adrien had spread, the school population was having a hard time sympathizing when it came to Lila’s actions while akumatized.

Everyone abruptly stopped chatting and glared in Lila’s direction as she left Principal Damocles’ office, escorted by her mother and Officer Raincomprix. Once they had reached the base of the stairs, Adrien and Nino walked out of the office as well.

Adrien let out a heavy sigh and scratched vigorously at his scalp with both hands. Nino put his hand on his best friend’s shoulder. “Are you sure you’re okay, dude?”

It was obvious when Lila had finally left the building, as the room erupted again with people yelling and conversing.

Adrien smiled weakly at Nino and ran his fingers through his blonde locks. “I will be. I definitely need a long shower and to wash my mouth with acid, but I’ll be fine. I’m just worried about Marinette. I don’t know what happened after Lila kissed me, but I doubt it was good, and she had to have seen it.”

Nino nervously adjusted his cap, and nodded as the two made their way down the stairs. “Yeah, man. That’s rough. But Alya’s with her, and I’m sure Marinette knows it wasn’t really you.” They opened the doors and stepped out of the front of the school, stopping when they saw Alya and Marinette at the base of the steps. Alya was speaking animatedly with Officer Raincomprix just outside of the car where Lila and her mother were arguing.

Nino ran down the steps to join Alya, and Marinette finally turned and spotted Adrien, still glued to his spot at the top of the stairs.

Adrien fidgeted self-consciously and scratched at the back of his neck. “Marinette. I don’t know what you saw, but I swear I fought with everything I had to get away from her.” Marinette was walking up the steps toward him, looking angry and determined. “She had her… zombified masses hold me down while she kissed me.” Tears filled his eyes as he watched her approach him. He was terrified she was going to tell him she hated him. “I promise I tried so hard not to let her.”

Marinette finally reached him and threw her arms around his neck, pulling his face closer to hers. She pressed her forehead against his and gazed into his eyes with concern. “I know, minou. I’m so sorry I left you.”

Adrien relaxed slightly and wrapped his arms around the love of his life. “When I came to, Lila was still unconscious from whatever you did to her. I was fine.”

Suppressing a grin, Marinette held him tighter. “I’m glad you’re okay, and she won’t be back.” She looked at him more seriously, then glanced down at his lips. “I don’t want to overstep, if you’re still feeling like you need some space after what happened.”

Kissing her on the cheek, Adrien smiled. “There’s nothing I want less than that. I want to be closer to you, if anything.”

Marinette smiled, blushing slightly. She swallowed, unsure of what she was about to do. “Adrien I’m in love with you. I’ve been in love with you for years.” She lifted her hands to the sides of his face and looked at him with hope in her eyes. “I want to be with you, and I won’t let anyone come between us if you want to be with me too.”

Despite the ferocious pounding in her chest, Marinette leaned in and pressed her lips gently against Adrien’s.

Adrien returned the kiss with fervor, holding her tight. When they reluctantly broke away, Adrien gazed lovingly at Marinette and caressed her cheek. “I love you too, Marinette. I love you so much, and I always want to be with you.” He leaned in once more and kissed her soft lips, his fingers finding their way to bury themselves in her hair.

“Adrien.”

The voice startled them slightly and they turned to see a man standing with his assistant next to a car by the sidewalk. Adrien pulled Marinette closer to his side, not wanting to hide their new relationship.

He swallowed and nodded in acknowledgment. “Father.”


	22. Never Dared to Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel surprises us all. Adrien is welcome in the Dupain-Cheng home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for my lack of responses to comments lately. Life has been weird. I SO appreciate them and love reading them and will be better about it. I surpassed two goals of mine sometime around posting the last chapter - 10000 hits and 500 kudos! Yay! I love all of you and am so pleased with the positive response to this story. I love it so much!

Pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, Gabriel fixed his gaze on his son while he climbed the stairs. “I was informed by the school that you were the victim of unwanted advances. I’m here to see to it that Miss Rossi is not allowed to return to your school after her inappropriate and inexcusable actions.”

He stopped next to Adrien and Marinette, Nathalie by his side. “Miss Dupain-Cheng.” He nodded as he clasped his hands behind his back. “It’s very good to see you again. I see that you and my son have grown closer as of late.”

Marinette blushed and bowed slightly. “Uh, yes sir, Monsieur Agreste.”

Though his expression was stoic, Gabriel looked softer than usual. “Please. Call me Gabriel.” He turned to face his son. “Adrien, I…” he hesitated, “I apologize for all that you have been subjected to today. If you feel you need it, Nathalie will set up an appointment with a therapist.”

Nathalie nodded at Adrien and then at Marinette, silently showing her support.

Adrien clenched his jaw and entwined his fingers with Marinette’s. “I’ll be fine. I have my…” He gazed lovingly into Marinette’s eyes and pulled their joined hands up so he could kiss her fingers. “My girlfriend by my side.” He looked back at his father and grimaced. “I just never want to see Lila again, and I hope Hawk Moth never again gives someone that kind of power over someone’s autonomy.”

Adrien didn’t miss the brief look of shock and bewilderment on his father’s face.

Gabriel bowed his head slightly as he quickly went over what he was supposed to know, and what he was not. He figured that he could have gotten a general overview of the akuma details from the news, but he wouldn’t have known who was affected within the confines of the school. Those details were still slowly trickling out to the media.

“She was akumatized? Were you targeted by her akumatized form as well?” Gabriel was trying to maintain his calm facade but he felt incredibly guilty. After Lila had spoken of Marinette’s pregnancy, he had detransformed, effectively leaving her to her own devices. He had no idea what she could have done after that point, but knew that finding Adrien and Marinette had been her biggest goals.

Adrien nodded solemnly. “I was.” He closed his eyes and squeezed Marinette’s hand. “We both were. The whole school was. It was horrible, Father.”

While not one for showing emotions, Gabriel wanted nothing more that to hold his son and tell him he was sorry. Alas, he hadn’t cultivated such a relationship with Adrien, and felt it would be too out of character. He couldn’t risk giving himself away. Stepping forward and clapping his hand down onto Adrien and Marinette’s shoulders, he looked back and forth between them. “I’m glad you’re both unharmed.” He quickly removed his hands and stepped past them to go speak to Principal Damocles.

Alya and Nino walked up to their best friends with their mouths hung open. Alya stared incredulously at Adrien. “What the hell was that? It was almost as if he cared.”

Adrien reached up and touched his shoulder where his father’s hand had been. “Right? Weird.” Marinette pulled him down to sit with her on the steps and Alya and Nino sat nearby. Smiling brightly at the pigtailed girl next to him, he leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “He seems to love you.”

The bright red blush on Marinette’s face made her friends all laugh. She scowled at them but eventually relented and smiled. “I’m just so nervous about him finding out about the baby. We decided to tell him tomorrow.” She leaned into Adrien’s side as he wrapped an arm around her.

“Yeah, dude’s pretty uptight.” Nino stated matter-of-factly. Alya jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow and he held up his hands in surrender.

“Way to help her feel better about it Nino, this man’s about to be the grandfather of her child!” Alya glared at her boyfriend and wagged a finger in his face. “I for one am really impressed at how he handled the situation, and he’s here to prevent Lila from ever coming near our babies again. Not that I would allow such a thing either way.”

Nino swallowed and nodded, intimidated by Alya’s intensity. “You’re totally right, babe.”

Adrien burst out laughing at their display. “You two are hilarious together. You’re the best. Never change.”

The four friends sat and chatted about various things for a while longer, the remainder of the school day having been cancelled due to such an invasive akuma attack. Marinette was finished explaining everything that happened during Lila’s terrifying reign over the school’s population when Gabriel and Nathalie walked back out of the school.

Adrien quickly rose to his feet and the other three teens followed suit. “Father. What did Principal Damocles say?”

Gabriel clasped his hands behind his back once again and looked pleased. “Lila Rossi will not ever be returning to this school, nor any school in Paris. We were able to speak with her mother as well and Lila will be kept away from everyone she victimized today unless she wants legal action to be taken.” He smiled at his son, a smug look in his eyes. “This is your last year of school before university, and I will not have anyone here who stands in the way of your ability to be at your best.” He glanced at Marinette and nodded before making his way to the car.

Before entering the car, Gabriel turned and looked at Adrien once more. “Nathalie told me you requested to have dinner with Marinette’s family tonight. Please escort her home now and you can spend the remainder of the day with her family. Her mother can help you practice your Chinese. Just be sure to be home for bed.”

“Thank you, Father. Is there a time we can speak tomorrow? I have something I need to discuss with you.” Adrien reached out his hand and laced his fingers with Marinette’s. Nathalie leaned in and whispered something to Gabriel that the rest of them were unable to hear. He nodded, setting his attention on Adrien.

“Of course. You have photo shoots all weekend, but we can speak over breakfast.” With that he turned and made himself comfortable in the back seat of the car. Nathalie joined him and they drove off.

“Did he have a stroke or something? I’ve heard people can have personality changes after them.” Nino pulled off his hat and rubbed at his head in an effort to ensure that this was, indeed, reality.

Marinette stood unsteadily. The weight of the next twelve hours or so of her life felt crushing. “I… I guess we’re about to tell my parents? And I guess I’m coming over for breakfast.” Her unfocused gaze made its way over to Adrien’s face and he smiled nervously at her.

“I guess so. And I’ll be right by your side through it all.”

* * *

After hugs and comforting words, Nino and Alya went off on their own while Adrien had practically dragged Marinette toward the bakery.

“They already know about the baby. How can you possibly be more nervous about them finding out about me?”

Marinette covered her face with her hands and groaned. “They know I’ve had a crush on you for years. I’m not worried about them finding out, I’m worried about how embarrassing they’re going to be.”

Adrien grinned and gently pulled her hands away from her face. “That makes me feel much better about it.” He gave her a chaste kiss on the lips and pressed his forehead against hers, his eyes closed. “It’s going to be fine, Marinette.”

After a moment of deep breathing and calming down they walked hand in hand toward the bakery and opened the front door, the tinkle of the bell causing Sabine to look up from boxing up an order for a customer. When she saw Adrien with her daughter, she nearly dropped the sweets she was holding. A humongous smile filled her face as she quickly finished shoving baked goods into the box and handed it to the confused patron.

“It’s on the house!” She ignored the customer’s thanks as they made their way past Adrien and Marinette.

“TOM! Get out here! I was right!” Sabine rushed over to throw her arms around her daughter. “This is him, right? Adrien?”

When she pulled back, Marinette nodded carefully, unsure of exactly what was happening.

Sabine squealed with joy and threw her arms around Adrien next. “Oh, I’m so happy! Tom! Come out here!”

Tom rushed out of the kitchen, concerned until he spotted his wife hugging Adrien. His hands automatically sprung to his cheeks and he danced a little in place, his giddiness apparent. “Oh my goodness you were right!” He closed the distance between himself and his family and pulled the three of them in for a tight hug.

Adrien chuckled, mostly as a nervous reflex, the air having been quickly squeezed out of him. He looked at Marinette, who had her cheeks squished by her father’s enormous arm. He laughed at the adorable look on her face and felt at home in the embrace of the people he hoped would one day be his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah... the next chapter. So fluffy. 🥰
> 
> I’m on tumblr a lot lately - zenmisery. I’d love to see some of you there!


	23. Priorities, Children

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An afternoon at the Dupain-Cheng’s. Nathalie’s barely holding it together. Adrien and Marinette need more time, and Plagg is a brat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HUGE shoutout to mostlovedgirl for acting as beta for this chapter! I’m so thankful to her and to all of you who have been so supportive through this process!

Tom finally released his grip on the three most important people in his life and Adrien clutched at his aching rib cage. Marinette grinned at her newly-minted boyfriend. “Are you okay Adrien?”

“I’m fine, just not used to that much affection.” He smirked at Tom as Sabine sidled up next to her husband and gazed adoringly at the two teenagers.

Sabine placed her hands on her husband’s apron and leaned her head into his chest. “Oh Tom, remember when we were that age?”

“I most certainly do. You were the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen. I’m sure Adrien feels the same way about our Marinette. Don’t you, son?”

Marinette flushed. “Papa! Don’t put words in his mouth!”

Laughing, Adrien wrapped his arm around Marinette. “It’s fine. He’s absolutely right. That’s exactly how I feel.”

Marinette was surprised, but smiled at Adrien.

Sabine clapped her hands together and walked back over to the counter, starting on folding boxes. “We all have a lot to discuss, but your father and I have a large order due tonight for a party. Would you two mind helping?”

Adrien immediately rolled up his sleeves and walked to where he knew they hung the spare aprons. “Not at all Mrs Cheng. Happy to help.”

Tom smiled brightly at his wife and patted Adrien on the shoulder on his way back to the kitchen. “Help Sabine with those boxes and then come help me in the kitchen, Adrien.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Tom and Sabine, son. There are no formalities here, you’re family now.”

Adrien nodded, not sure quite what to say. He’d never in his wildest dreams have imagined that he would be so readily welcomed into their family after unknowingly impregnating their daughter. As he made his way over toward Sabine, he was handed a stack of boxes to fold.

Sabine smiled sweetly at him. “Tom and I had been on the phone with your principal when your father marched into his office and demanded that this Lila girl not be allowed back. He clearly cares for you, even if he’s bad at showing it.”

Marinette began filling boxes with various treats, per her mother’s instructions, as Sabine continued. “I have to say though that I agree with your father and I’m glad he made the time to stand up for what’s right. What that girl did to you both was wrong. Completely unacceptable. I’m so thankful that you’re both safe, and that you have each other.”

Adrien and Marinette made eye contact and both blushed lightly. Adrien finished folding the last box and handed it over. “Thank you, Sabine. We got lucky. It could have been a lot worse. Speaking of my father, he hoped that you might be able to help me go over some conversational Chinese while I’m here.”

“Of course, dear. Go help Tom and when you’re done we can practice as much as you need to while we work.” She smiled at Adrien, who thanked her and left the room.

Sabine helped Marinette fill boxes for a couple minutes before she fixed her attention on her. “So sweetie… care to tell me what you two are planning for the future when it comes to this baby?”

Marinette sighed. She had known this would come up, but she and Adrien had hardly had time to breathe much less sit and discuss such important things at length. “We’re still working on that, Maman. We’ll have to talk about it more over dinner.” She closed a box of croissants and stacked it with the others. “Right now we’ve decided to give a relationship a try, and we care about one another and want things to work out. For us, and for the baby.”

Sabine smiled, satisfied with that for now. “Alright then, we’ll talk more over dinner.”

* * *

After arriving back at the mansion, Gabriel climbed the stairs to his office with Nathalie at his side. “Thank you for your input today. I fear how Adrien would have reacted if I had said what I initially intended to.”

Once they were in Gabriel’s office, Nathalie nodded solemnly. “Adrien is nearly eighteen. Were you to make threats at this point, I worry that would only cause him to pull away once he is of age. As it stands, you may be able to get him to agree to continue working for the company.”

Gabriel gazed at the painting of his dear wife and sighed. “You’re absolutely right. I can’t continue to treat him like a child. He’s nearly a man, and he’s going to be a father. He’ll continue receiving my support if he takes on more responsibility in the company. He won’t get his full inheritance until he turns twenty-one, so at least for the next few years, working for me is his best chance at supporting his child.”

Nathalie pinched the bridge of her nose and tried not to sigh audibly. Gabriel had an uncanny ability to see every interaction as a transaction, even when it came to his son. Using a baby as leverage wasn’t exactly what Nathalie had in mind initially, but she wasn’t surprised it had come to that. Baby steps, she had to remind herself. Convincing Gabriel to allow Adrien to stay in school was big. Convincing him to treat Marinette with kindness and concern was huge. She’d just have to try to steer him in the right direction for the rest.

Glancing down at her tablet, Nathalie looked at the schedule for the following day. “My assumption is that Adrien will invite Miss Dupain-Cheng to breakfast tomorrow in order to inform you of the pregnancy. Have you decided how best to broach the subject?”

After a long moment of consideration whilst staring at Emilie’s likeness, Gabriel nodded. “I don’t need to worry about being delicate. The question of paternity is unavoidable. If the child is indeed Adrien’s, I’ll insist they marry.”

* * *

Once the party order of baked goods was picked up and Adrien and Sabine had sufficiently conversed in Mandarin while serving customers, Tom insisted that the young couple head upstairs to get cleaned up while he closed up the bakery.

“Your parents are amazing, Marinette. They work so hard but they don’t let it make them bitter. They’re so kind and generous. No wonder you turned out so perfect.”

Marinette showed Adrien to the bathroom near her bedroom and they shut the door behind them. “I’m hardly perfect, Adrien. My parents are wonderful, but I could only hope to be as sweet and loving as they are. They’re such fantastic role models.”

Adrien grabbed a hand towel and wet it with warm water. He walked closer to Marinette and wiped some icing from her brow. “I’m glad they’ll be the examples our children will have to look up to.”

Marinette blushed. “Children? I don’t… I don’t _think_ I’m having twins.”

Red covered Adrien’s cheeks once he realized his Freudian slip. He summoned some of Chat’s courage and tenacity and leaned in closer despite the pounding in his chest. “I stand by my statement.” He wiped some flour off Marinette’s jaw, his face mere inches from hers as he stared into her eyes.

Her pulse racing, and her attention fixated on Adrien’s lips, Marinette leaned in and kissed him fiercely. The wet hand towel was quickly dropped to the floor and forgotten as Adrien hoisted Marinette up to sit on the bathroom counter and pressed his body against hers.

As their kiss deepened and they experimented with adding their tongues to the experience, Adrien found himself lifting the back of her shirt and caressing the exposed, soft skin of her back.

Marinette wrapped her legs around Adrien’s hips, pulling him closer. Their kisses were unpracticed and sloppy, but they were acting on instinct.

Adrien wondered if this seemingly electric chemistry was what led them to basically have sex with strangers in the Montparnasse Tower. When his hands reached the hooks on Marinette’s bra, he hesitated. He could feel his hands shaking. He pulled back from their desperate kiss and bent slightly to kiss her neck, only to notice that she was also shaking.

Pulling his hands out from under Marinette’s shirt, he held her arms, searching her eyes for any sign that she felt rushed. His concern was evident and she tried to reassure him with a smile that came across less convincing than she’d hoped. “I’m s-sorry. I want this, I do, I just…”

“Oh, COME ON!” Plagg interrupted loudly. “Is it going to be either this mushy love stuff or gross mouth sounds every time you two are together?”

Tikki smacked him gently. “Oh hush, Plagg. You’re just upset because you’re hungry.”

“Darn right I am! Adrien ran out of cheese somewhere around lunchtime. I’ve been waiting hours, Sugarcube… HOURS!”

Adrien rolled his eyes and cast an apologetic glance toward Marinette as he stepped back away from her. “I’m sorry. I better get him something to eat before he gives us away to your parents.”

Marinette hopped down off the counter and straightened her clothes, still feeling the heat of her embarrassment. “I think Maman wanted help making dinner, and I’m pretty sure there’s some cheese in the fridge.”

Plagg flew over to sit on Marinette’s shoulder. “I like this girl, Adrien. She has her priorities straight.”

Tikki rolled her eyes before inspecting Adrien and Marinette a little more carefully. She was concerned for those children who felt so much pressure in every aspect of their young lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My babies. 😭


	24. We Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alya and Nino are concerned parents, and Marinette and Adrien chat with Tom and Sabine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay on this one guys, it has been an insanely busy week. I got asked by someone today “exactly how many things do you volunteer for?” after he’d seen me in yet another location volunteering for yet another thing, so clearly I have a problem. Most of the holiday craziness is done with though, so I’m back to it.

“Go play for a bit while Nino and I get your dinner ready, you crazy girls.” Alya watched as her twin sisters ran off to their bedroom before heading to the kitchen.

Nino was stirring the shrimp étoufée, inspecting it dubiously. “Babe, do you think this is warmed all the way through?”

Snatching the spoon out of Nino’s hand, Alya took a quick bite of the meal her mother had left for her to heat for dinner. “Mmmm. Delicious. And yes, it’s perfect. Here, try some.” She held the spoon up to Nino’s mouth and he gratefully took a large bite.

“Damn, Alya. How did you get lucky enough to have a straight-up Michelin chef for a mom?” He stole the spoon, and subsequently, another bite from the pot. “That is insanely good.” He turned off the burner and set the spoon on its rest before turning around to face his girlfriend. “And how did I get lucky enough to find a girl who’s so…” He tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled.”So much in possession of a mother who’s a Michelin chef?”

Alya scoffed and punched Nino in the arm.”You suck.” She turned away but Nino grabbed her arm, spinning her back around and pulling her in for a passionate kiss.

Repeatedly raising his eyebrows in a suggestive manner, Nino winked. “Yeah I do, babe. You know it.”

“Ugh, Nino!” She feigned disgust, but kissed him several times in a row before finally forcing herself away. “You need to learn to curb your appetite when we’re watching the girls.”

Nino leaned back against the counter and sighed, a grin on his face. He watched Alya get some bowls and start to serve their dinner as he went back over the events of the day in his mind. Once Alya had finished setting the dishes on the table and turned back to look at her boyfriend, she was worried to see him looking so melancholy.

“Hey.” She walked back to him and threw her arms around his neck. “You know I was just kidding around, right? I love you, we just have to focus on the girls.”

Holding her and kissing her forehead, Nino smiled again. “I know. It’s not that. I’m just worried about Adrien. He wasn’t okay when I got back to school earlier. Not at all.”

Alya knit her brow in concern. “Really? He seemed like he was coping pretty well when he and Mari were…” She trailed off, uncertain. “What did he tell you?”

Nino’s face fell. “When I got there… Chat Noir had just rushed out of Damocles’ office. He left Lila there to… whatever. Who cares about her. When I found him… when I found Adrien…” He shifted uncomfortably and sighed. “He was curled up in a dark corner of the bathroom, crying. He tried to play it off, and he’s acted like it’s not a big deal since then, but… I don’t know Al. Having to touch her again to get her to Damocles....”

Alya hugged him close, burying her face in his neck. “Poor Adrien. He and Marinette are both trying to pretend like nothing’s wrong when they really just need to talk it out.” She cringed and pulled back to look at Nino. “Actually… I think I may have contributed to making Marinette think she had to put on a brave face.”

Squinting his eyes at Alya, Nino caressed her back and tried not to look too skeptical.

“Okay fine! It’s probably partially my fault when it comes to Marinette, but to be fair, I was standing up for our sunshine boy, who has been through more than enough without Marinette making him worry about whether or not she’s upset about what he was put through.” She took a step back and held Nino’s hands. “We’ll just have to figure out a way to get them to open up. Preferably to each other, but talking to us is a good first step.”

Nino kissed Alya gently on the cheek and admired her. “Have I told you lately that you are just the best mom?”

They grinned at one another for a moment before Alya playfully shoved him toward the bedrooms. “Go get the girls. Time to eat.”

* * *

“Adrien, sweetie, can you grab some glasses from the cupboard?” Sabine set down the last plate and sat next to Tom.

“Of course!” Adrien grabbed four glasses before making his way to the table, setting them down in front of each table setting.

“Thank you, dear.” Sabine smiled sweetly at Adrien as she watched him sit next to Marinette and give her a kiss on the cheek.

Adrien grinned back, hardly able to remember a time when he felt so loved and accepted. “It’s my pleasure. Thank you so much for letting me be part of your day and having me over for dinner.

Tom scooped some food onto his plate and chuckled. “Son, that part is our pleasure. You have been such a help and it warms this old man’s heart to see someone dote on our daughter the way you have. Marinette deserves the absolute best, and from what I can see, you got the memo.”

Marinette and Adrien both blushed. Looking exasperatedly at her father, Marinette sighed. “Papa… that isn’t what Adrien’s here for. Our relationship is still new. Please don’t rush him.”

Sabine poured herself some water and watched her husband’s reaction. “She’s right Tom. We’re here to talk about the baby and what comes next logistically. Our hopes for the future of their relationship aren’t relevant.” She turned her attention to Adrien and Marinette. “Though we both understand that whatever plans we may or may not make could change as time passes and your relationship evolves.”

Adrien glanced over at Marinette and grimaced when he saw that she seemed to be avoiding eye contact with him. “Umm… we appreciate that.” He looked down at his still-empty plate for a moment before forcing himself to make eye contact with Tom and Sabine.

“We haven’t really had time to discuss it as much as we’d like, but as I told Marinette…” He glanced over at his girlfriend. “I’m all in. Whatever she wants, whatever she needs. I’m not going anywhere.” Marinette finally looked back at him, a small, grateful smile adorning her beautiful face. She reached out to take Adrien’s hand and he happily squeezed hers in return.

Tom took a large bite of his food, blissfully unaware of the tension his daughter and Adrien were feeling. “Okay,” he said with his mouth still filled, “then what do you want, sweetie?”

Marinette looked warily over at Adrien and hoped he was being sincere when he said he was all in no matter what, and didn’t just feel obligated because of the baby. “I want to raise this baby. I’ll do it by myself if I have to -“ She squeezed his hand when she noticed he was about to interject. “-but I trust that it won’t come to that. I don’t know if we’re as compatible as I always imagined we would be, but I don’t want the birth of this baby to be some sort of deadline for us to figure that out by.”

“I’ve felt pressure to speed up our relationship because of the baby, and I know you have too, but I definitely don’t feel that pressure from you, and I love you for that. I don’t want you to feel like the pressure is coming from me, either. We can take as much time as we need, like you said.” Marinette smiled at her new boyfriend with tears in her eyes. “I just know that right now, I want to see what happens next.”

Sabine and Tom glanced at one another and smirked, fully aware that Marinette wasn’t talking to them. She may have even momentarily forgotten that they were present. Sabine cleared her throat quietly and started serving herself some dinner as well. “So Adrien, I have no doubt in my mind that you’ll be as responsible as Marinette in your role as a provider, but do you know what you want to do for a career? Will you continue modeling?”

Adrien reluctantly let go of Marinette’s hand and turned his full attention to her parents. “We’re planning to talk these things over with my father tomorrow morning, when we tell him about the baby, but I think I’ll have to model for a while longer. My father likes to have control over things, but our relationship and what happens with our child can’t be choices he makes. If I tell him I’ll stay with the company for longer than I initially intended, he’s much more likely to give us a little more space.”

Tom nodded thoughtfully and crossed his arms over his chest. “Would you like us to be there?”

Quickly shaking his head, a momentary flash of panic crossed Adrien’s face as he thought about how badly such a scenario would play out. His father did NOT appreciate others involving themselves in their family matters. “No. No I think it will be better if it’s just Marinette and myself. But you’re right. He could still react really badly, and we need to be prepared for that at least somewhat.” He paused to serve himself some of the dinner he was dying to eat.

“I’m not even sure I want to tell him we don’t actually remember being together.” Adrien spoke through a mouthful of rice and beef. His father would be appalled, but his three dinner companions simply looked on in amusement. They all loved seeing him worry less about what’s proper and just feel comfortable to be himself. He swallowed before continuing. “I keep wondering if he would take it better if I let him believe that Marinette and I…”

Adrien glanced sideways at Marinette and saw her already blushing. “That we just weren’t as careful as we should have been. Maybe he’d be more accepting of our relationship if he thought it was more established.”

Sabine took a sip of her water and sat back in her chair. “I don’t think you should lie, Adrien. Honestly, you don’t want him yelling at you for being irresponsible when you two would have known better. This isn’t either of your fault. It’s Hawk Moth’s. Your father should know to place any blame on him, where it belongs.”

Nodding to himself, Adrien idly took another bite of his food and looked over at Marinette, who hadn’t even served herself anything yet. He quickly swallowed and reached out to place his hand on her thigh. “Hey Mari, are you okay? Aren’t you hungry?”

Marinette snapped out of her momentary daze and grimaced. “Just feeling nauseated, I’m fine. Maman? I don’t think I should turn in my applications for design schools anymore, or at least put it off.”

Tom and Sabine were about to disagree when Adrien took Marinette’s hands and guided her to look at him. “Absolutely not, Marinette. You’re not giving up on your dreams because plans now involve a baby. This isn’t all on you, you will not be doing this alone. If you have class, I will be there, and if I can’t, you have your parents or Alya. If none of them can, I’ll hire a part-time nanny, but you’re not missing out on your dreams. I won’t let you.”

Marinette grinned at him. “And what if I want to be a stay-at-home mom for a while?”

Adrien was momentarily taken aback by her sudden shift, but recovered quickly. “Of course! If that’s what you want then I absolutely support that. You can defer for a year, or whatever plan you’re comfortable with. Just know that I’ll be there, whichever you choose.”

Tom let out a loud chuckle, startling Adrien and Marinette out of their locked gaze. “It makes me so happy to see you two plan out a future together. I’ve been dreaming about the perfect wedding cake for my little girl for years. Just let me know when I should start baking!”

“Tom!”  
“Papa!”

Adrien blushed and looked over at the woman he was about to be co-parenting with. He couldn’t think of anything more amazing than her agreeing to marry him. He would marry her that very day if that was what she wanted, but couldn’t possibly hurry her into such a commitment. A baby was a huge commitment too, but this was a baby that neither of them remembered creating. He was determined that marriage would be a choice Marinette got to take her time with.

He listened as Marinette argued some of the same points to her father.

“You think he wants to be rushed into both fatherhood and a marriage in less than a week?! Can we wrap our heads around being parents first? Goodness, Papa.”

Sabine smiled at Adrien, noticing that the mention of marriage didn’t seem to upset him. “Marinette, we need to talk about some more immediate realities. You won’t be able to sleep in that bed much longer.”

Marinette looked at her mother with eyes wide. “What do you mean?”

Pushing the food on her plate around with her chopsticks, Sabine sighed. “I mean, as this baby gets bigger, you will not want to try to make it down from your loft bed to the bathroom at two in the morning. Trust me.”

Tom and Adrien both shoveled more food into their mouths, neither sure what they could possibly contribute to the topic.

“Can we move the bed? Or switch bedrooms?” Marinette was feeling flustered. She hadn’t even considered such a thing, and had a sneaking suspicion that this was one of many things that she was going to be blindsided by in the coming months.

“I don’t think you should stay in that room at all, really. Even with morning sickness you’ve had to vomit into a trash bin when you couldn’t make it to the bathroom quick enough. It’ll be a lot worse when it’s your bladder that needs to be emptied.” Sabine spoke matter-of-factly, but Marinette protested, embarrassed by all the talk of her bodily functions.

Sabine just chuckled and continued. “Your father and I can’t take that room either. He’s simply too big for the loft bed and the room isn’t large enough to fit a bigger bed.”

Adrien swallowed his food and shrugged. “We could get an apartment together.”

He hadn’t really thought the statement through, and certainly hadn’t considered the implications before the words were out of his mouth. When he looked at Marinette, she was staring at him with eyes wide and her mouth hung open. Before he could even formulate a response, Tom was already speaking.

“Sabine and I were actually talking about exactly that.” He scratched at the side of his face, trying to find the best way to summarize his and Sabine’s earlier conversation. Giving his full attention to his daughter, he sighed and continued. “Marinette, sweetie, we love you, and we already love this baby. We will always be here for whatever you need, whenever you need us. We’ll babysit, we’ll make sure you don’t have to worry about cooking for the first several weeks… but…” He trailed off as tears filled his eyes.

Luckily his wife was on standby and took his emotions as her cue to step in. “But you can’t rely too heavily on us, dear. We want to help, more than you know, but raising you on our own was a good experience for us, and it’s one you should have with this child. Of course we’ll be here for you, and of course we’ll help whenever we can, but the two of you are this baby’s parents, and no one can replace you. You need to learn what you want for your family, without our influence getting in the way.”

Marinette and Adrien both looked shocked. Neither of them had expected such things to be suggested by her parents.

After taking a couple more small bites and watching the young couple process her words, Sabine cleared her throat and continued. “Of course, it would have to wait until after your birthday, Adrien, but that’s coming up quickly. And honey, you’re welcome to be here until being in that bed starts becoming a problem for you, but it may be beneficial to adjust to a new place before that point.”

Wrapping an arm around her stomach in a physical attempt to hold herself together, Marinette looked to both of her parents. “Are you kicking me out?”

Tom reached across the table and took his daughter’s hand. “Of course not, sweetie. You should know that we wouldn’t be suggesting this if we weren’t sure it was the best thing for you. We still want to see you as often as possible, and we may still ask for your help in the bakery from time to time if you’re willing. We want to have you both over for dinner at least once a week, and you’re welcome over whenever you feel like it.”

“That is, of course, if you both want to get an apartment in the first place.” Sabine interjected. “We won’t force you, but we do believe it’d be best for you and this baby as you figure out what works best for you. We know your relationship is new, and that living together is a huge step, but at least at first you’d mostly be living together to make it easier for you both to be the most effective parents for your child. It’ll be so much easier on both of you.”

Pulling her hand away from her father and covering her face with both hands, Marinette groaned loudly.

Adrien, whose face was still contorted in bewilderment, felt even more confused by Marinette’s reaction. “I… if you don’t want to live with me, Marinette, I underst-“

“NO!” Marinette’s reaction startled the rest of them. “I mean… I don’t… uh… I don’t have a problem with it, I just... It’s just…” She heaved a sigh. “I wasn’t groaning because I don’t want to live with you, Adrien. I just feel like I need a month to catch up on the last three days of stress and huge life changes, and this is just one more huge life change.”

Marinette stood and paced back and forth. “I think I just need to go lie down for a while. I’m sorry. I love you all, I just need some real rest.” She wasted no time in heading to her bedroom.

Adrien turned back toward Tom and Sabine after watching Marinette walk away. “I’m really sorry. Should I go talk to her?”

Sabine smiled at him. “That’s a good idea, but give her a few minutes first.”

Looking down at his lap, Adrien felt really torn. “I’m sorry for bringing up an apartment. I wasn’t really thinking, it just felt like a reasonable solution. I’m sure you wanted to suggest that under different circumstances.” He looked back up at them and wrung his hands. “I want you to know that I do want it, though. I won’t do anything unless she wants it too but I want to be there every day to help her in any way she needs and to be a real, present father and partner. I love your daughter, and just want her to be happy.”

Tom and Sabine smiled at Adrien, and then at one another. “We know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s a smidge more to this evening, but then we’ll move on to breakfast with Gabriel.


	25. Aftershocks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom and Sabine are the parents we all deserve. Marinette and Adrien are respectful of boundaries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oy. This one took me a bit. Enjoy.

Adrien helped Sabine clear the table and box up leftovers as Tom washed dishes. More than a little desperate to get upstairs and clear things up with his girlfriend of barely a day, Adrien’s thoughts were racing with things he could possibly say to her. As he handed the last dish to Tom and nearly dropped it, he felt Sabine’s hand on his arm.

“Do you know that all of my family still lives in China?” She smiled as Adrien turned to look at her, startled out of his multiple bullet trains of thought. He shook his head and tried to give her his full attention despite how much was on his mind.

Sabine led Adrien slowly over to the couch and sat down next to him. “Well, I suppose I should say that they’ve all since moved back to China. I’m the only member of my family in France. Tom’s father hardly leaves the house, and his mother is always traveling, so the majority of the time it’s just the three of us. Just our little family. And it always has been that way. When Marinette was born, Tom and I did everything ourselves. While we were trying to build a business at the same time, mind you.”

She watched as Adrien fidgeted idly with a loose thread on the couch cushion. She touched his hand lightly to make sure he was focused. Once his eyes met hers again, she continued. “We don’t expect you two to do this alone. You’re both several years younger than Tom and I were when we had Marinette, and it was hard enough even then. We want to help, and honestly you’ll probably have a hard time getting Tom to give the baby back to you once he meets the little one.”

“You act as though you won’t also be hogging our first grandbaby, Sabine!” Tom called from the kitchen.

Adrien and Sabine both chuckled and grinned at one another. Sabine shrugged, not able to deny the truth of her husband’s words. “This isn’t the way any of us imagined ourselves in this situation, but here we are. We all have to make the best of it. You two have been rushed into growing up by something entirely out of your control, and as unfair as that is, I can’t imagine two people more capable of overcoming the challenges it presents.”

Tom finished with the dishes and came to sit next to his wife. He held her hand in his and regarded the blond boy in their living room. “I have to agree. You’re both incredibly mature for your age. Responsible, driven, talented… I’m sure you’ll make an excellent team.”

Sabine smiled at her husband and then turned her attention back to Adrien. “Absolutely. The biggest reason why we think you both would benefit from living on your own is how much it benefitted us to do the same.” She leaned her head against Tom’s arm and sighed happily. “It taught us to trust one another, rely on one another, and help one another. You would have more help than we ever did, but on a daily basis you would still learn to work as a team to accomplish whatever goals you set together.”

“You don’t have to open a bakery at the same time, but if you’re both putting your all into whatever you do decide to do, you’ll accomplish more than you ever thought possible, and you’ll grow closer together at the same time.” Tom kissed his wife on the cheek and abruptly stood. “Now it’s time for Sabine and I to get to bed. We have an early morning of baking ahead of us. Why don’t you go see if Marinette will talk to you before you head home.”

Wrapping her arms around him, Sabine kissed each of Adrien’s cheeks. “Goodnight dear. We didn’t mean to overwhelm you. Try not to worry too much about all of this, just focus on being there for Marinette and finishing school. The rest will come in time, and we’ll be here to help. Assure her, comfort her, and good luck to you both in the morning when you talk to your father.”

Adrien thanked them, bid them goodnight, and watched as they walked out of the room, leaving him alone.

“Oh man I thought they’d never leave!” Plagg quickly zipped out of Adrien’s shirt and across the room, phasing into the refrigerator. After only a few moments, the fridge door opened, and Plagg emerged, carrying a stack of various cheeses that was larger than himself.

“Plagg! You can’t eat all of their cheese.”

“I’m not!” Plagg popped a piece of cheese into his mouth and spoke with his mouth full. “Besides, your girlfriend restocked it just for me.” He flew back over to Adrien, gorging himself on his bounty. “So whatcha planning to do? You and Pigtails getting an apartment sure would make it easier for me and Sugarcube. We wouldn’t have to spend so much of the day cramped up in your clothes or bags.”

Adrien scowled and jumped to his feet. “Don’t you dare pressure her into it for your own selfish reasons, Plagg. She needs more time, and we just barely decided to give this relationship a chance.” His scowl faded, and he looked suddenly very insecure. “Please don’t mess it up. I’m barely holding this together as it is. She’s everything I’ve ever wanted, and I can’t lose her.”

Plagg’s expression softened as he looked at his chosen. He knew how much finally being with the girl of his dreams meant to Adrien, how much this baby already meant to him. “Then go upstairs and hold her. You both need to stop being terrible at communicating, but this time, just shut your mouth and hold her. Let her cry, let her vent… Just, for the love of Camembert, don’t talk unless she wants you to.”

The flash of indignation on Adrien’s face was gone as quickly as it had appeared, and he rubbed his hands together nervously as he walked toward the stairs.

* * *

“Your parents aren’t going to make you do anything you’re wholly against, but I know that’s not how you feel, Marinette. You do know they’re not rejecting you, right?” Tikki was nuzzling against Marinette’s ear as the girl buried her face in her pillow.

Suddenly Marinette flipped over with a groan and threw her arms in the air. “What was she even talking about, Tikki?! We could fit a bigger bed in here!”

Tikki narrowed her eyes. “How do you figure? Your dad is essentially a giant, Marinette. And frankly, now you’re just making excuses instead of giving reasons.”

Marinette pouted at her kwami. “I have reasons! We’ve barely been in a relationship for half a day. Just because we now know we’ve been in love with each other for years doesn’t mean we’re ready to live together!”

Tikki sighed and sat on the pillow. “You’re not wrong, but that’s why you set rules. Boundaries. Sleep in different rooms at first. Make a pact to hold off on intimacy until you both really feel ready.”

Thoroughly unamused, Marinette scoffed. “What, just roommates who love each other and make out every day?”

Flopping back on the pillow, Tikki was exhausted from trying to talk down Marinette’s anxiety. “And what exactly is wrong with that as a starting point, Marinette? You don’t have to continue with only that once you’re ready to move on to the next thing. Your parents are right, you know. It’ll be better for the baby, and it’ll be better for both of you. You don’t have to move in until the end of the pregnancy, but Adrien deserves to not have to ask permission to come visit his child, and you deserve to have him there to help at all hours.”

Marinette was about to protest when she heard a barely audible knock on the trap door to her bedroom. She sat up with a start and hastily fixed her hair. “Come in!”

Adrien pushed the trap door open and poked his head into Marinette’s bedroom, glancing around until he saw her sitting up on the loft bed. He let himself the rest of the way in before carefully shutting the door behind him. He wanted to talk to her. He wanted to explain. He wanted to ask questions. But instead he turned around and smiled softly at his girlfriend, heeding Plagg’s suggestion.

The pout on Marinette’s face when he didn’t say anything was almost too much for him to bear. She was adorable, and he was smitten. Tikki flew over and led Plagg to their own cuddle spot without a word.

“Get up here, chaton. Come hold me.” Marinette scooched back and laid on her side on the bed, waiting impatiently for her request to be fulfilled. She didn’t have to wait long, as Adrien quickly slipped off his shoes and climbed the steps to her bed, settling in behind her and wrapping his arms around her delicate frame. Nuzzling her neck, he took a deep breath of her scent and basked in her warmth.

They laid there for several long minutes, just listening to one another’s breathing before Marinette sighed and spoke. “I’m sorry for running off like that. It’s just been a lot, you know? I just want to take our time with… something. Everything has been moving so fast. Too fast. And I…” She pulled Adrien’s arms tighter around herself and snuggled closer to him. “I just want to focus on us.”

Marinette suddenly pushed Adrien’s arms off of herself and rolled around until she was facing him. She grabbed his arms and put them back on her. “Just… I just want you to hold me. Sorry if I’m being needy. I think I…”

Unwelcome tears filled her eyes and she bit her tongue to curb her emotional reaction. “Tikki was helping me think through what my parents suggested, and… I don’t know. Maybe they’re right. Maybe living together is the right thing. For us… for the baby.” She pressed her forehead against his and rubbed their noses gently together. “I just need more time. And we’ll need to talk about how it’s going to work with our schedules and everything, especially if I still apply for design school and you’re working even more for your father.”

“I know my parents said they’ll help,” she continued, “and I know Alya and Nino will babysit, but I want to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to not have to rely on them. We may not have chosen this, but this is our baby, and our responsibility. If we’re living together, that will be easier, but we still have a lot to figure out.”

Marinette pulled back and looked Adrien in the eye with her brow furrowed. “What do you think? I want to wait until we’re both ready, but I want to make sure we’re both on the same page.”

The adoring smile on Adrien’s face was infectious. He lifted his arm and tucked some stray hairs behind Marinette’s ear. “My lady, there is nothing I want more. Take all the time you need, but I’m happy to discuss it whenever you’re ready. I love you.”

Pressing her lips firmly against Adrien’s, Marinette pushed her arms up the back of his shirt and pulled his body closer to hers, enjoying the feel of his bare skin against her palms. “I love you too.” She kissed him with more vigor, slipping her hands to his chest and firmly pushing him onto his back before sitting up and straddling his torso.

They were both nervous, but tried to hide it as Marinette nervously tugged the shirt off of her boyfriend. She smiled down at him once his shirt was cast to the side, her cheeks bright red. After taking his hands and pulling them toward her hips, Marinette slid her hands up Adrien’s stomach and chest, laying on top of him before kissing his jaw, and then his neck.

Before she even knew what had happened, Marinette was shoved off of Adrien’s body and he rolled to face away from her.

The reaction had been immediate; a reflex. Adrien felt completely ashamed for pushing Marinette away when what she had been doing was everything he wanted. But it was also something that Lila had done that same day, and in that moment, he once again felt the hands of his mind-controlled classmates holding him down. He felt Lila’s unwanted touch as he struggled with every ounce of his energy to get away from her.

Having broken out in a sweat, Adrien wrapped his arms around his bare chest and tried to slow his suddenly rapid breathing and heart rate. He knew he needed to apologize. He had to explain. He couldn’t let Marinette think he was rejecting her, but as he tried to get a word out, only a choked sob escaped, and tears started flowing out of his eyes of their own accord.

Marinette’s confusion and temporary indignation quickly gave way to concern. She grabbed his shirt and laid it gently on his arm, sure not to touch him. “Adrien, I’m… I’m sorry if -“

In one swift movement, Adrien sat up and pulled on his shirt, facing Marinette. “No. It’s not your fault at all.” He pushed the palms of his hands against his eyes, willing himself to stop crying. “I… damn it. This is so unfair to you. I’m so sorry.”

Forcing his shaking hands to reach out and take hers, Adrien swallowed his emotion and made eye contact with his girlfriend. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I love you. I want you,” he chuckled nervously, “I swear I do, so much. I just… today was… I’m so sorry, Mari.”

Squeezing his hands in reassurance, Marinette’s soft and understanding gaze gave Adrien hope.

He pulled her in for a hug and clung to her, hoping she would somehow feel all the things he didn’t think he was ready to say out loud.

“Adrien,” Marinette began slowly, carefully, “you have nothing to apologize for. I don’t know everything that happened today, but whatever it was, it was unfair to _you._ You can tell me about what happened if you want, but I promise I won’t force you to either.” She rubbed her hands comfortingly against his back. “And… and what I did see… Just please trust that I won’t let it affect how I see you. You didn’t choose it.”

Pulling back and holding her shoulders, Adrien hung his head in shame and embarrassment. “You can… you can tell me what you saw, if you want, too. But I think I need some time. It’s too fresh right now. I haven’t even had a chance to shower, I just washed my face and neck in the bathroom at school.”

Marinette grimaced, wondering what exactly that implicated. “I think we both need some time.” She took a moment before continuing. “That’s why this suggestion from my parents was so hard, I guess. They don’t know how hard this all has been lately. Without knowing both sides of who we are, they can’t possibly know why we’re so overwhelmed right now.”

Adrien made eye contact with her again, and sat back, nodding slowly. “Do you want to tell them?”

Across the room, Tikki and Plagg were suddenly listening very attentively.

Marinette sighed and tugged at her pigtails. “I think we’ll have to eventually. I’m not ready to yet, but once the baby is born they’ll start asking questions when you rush off every time there’s akuma, and that’s while Alya’s filling my shoes. Once I’m ready to get my miraculous back, it’ll just get worse. We can’t leave the baby alone, and we can’t expect Nino and Alya to always be available at a moment’s notice.”

Tikki landed on Marinette’s shoulder and nudged her head against her neck. “Your parents are on the list, just so you know. We agree, you’ll almost certainly have to tell them at some point.”

Plagg nudged Adrien’s cheek. “Your dad is definitely _not_ on the list, just so you know.”

“Fair enough.” Adrien acknowledged.

“Speaking of your father,” Tikki looked to Adrien, “do you feel prepared for this conversation tomorrow morning? Because if not, we should probably discuss it before you head home for the night.”

Adrien sighed. “Not even a little bit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This freaking day is finally over! Hallelujah!


	26. Better Than Expected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Breakfast with dear old Dad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goodness. Sorry kids, it’s been a heck of a week... and frankly, this conversation was just hard to write for some reason. 😩

Adrien slid into the back seat after Marinette and pulled the car door shut. Looking over at her and taking her hand in his, he couldn’t tell which of them was shaking. Maybe it was both of them.

The conversation they had the previous evening with Plagg and Tikki helped give them some confidence in how they’d handle their swiftly approaching conversation with Adrien’s father, but they were both still incredibly nervous. Maybe even more so after Adrien had expressed a lot of his concerns about how he assumed his father would react.

Marinette stared down at her lap, tears filling her eyes.

“Are you okay, Mari?” Adrien laced his fingers with hers and leaned against her, kissing her cheek and pressing his forehead to her temple.

She smiled gently, not quite managing to make eye contact with her boyfriend. “Not so much. I’m not sure I can hold it together if he starts yelling at me.” Adrien was about to interject but Marinette continued. “I know you said he was less likely to yell with me there, but… I already feel nauseated. Is there a bathroom close to the dining room? I might have to throw up at some point. I promise I’ll try not to cry, but Adrien… I’m pretty sure I’m going to cry.”

Adrien lifted the hand that wasn’t holding Marinette’s and caressed her cheek, brushing away a tear or two. “Then cry. He’s been telling me my whole life that I needed to keep my emotions in check, I won’t let him expect the same of you. People cry. It’s healthy. Don’t ever apologize for it.”

Marinette’s mirthless laugh was filled instead with anxiety. “That’s a lot easier said than done, Cha-“ Adrien quickly placed a finger to Marinette’s mouth and gestured with his eyes toward the Gorilla sitting in the front seat. Adrien’s bodyguard, who had been glancing at the couple on occasion while they spoke, hastily averted his gaze and focused on his driving.

“Uh… Cha… uh… Shop… keep?” Marinette giggled nervously at the incredibly awkward redirection that escaped her lips.

Adrien covered his mouth and tried not to laugh. He was unsuccessful. A burst of loud guffaws filled the back seat of the car, both teens having given into the bizarre and ill-conceived coverup, as well as the sheer panic they were both feeling as they approached the Agreste mansion.

After another minute of laughter that made both of them clutch their stomachs, they mercifully pulled up to the front of the mansion and made their way out of the car. Adrien’s bodyguard gave them an amused look before driving away, leaving them alone.

Wiping a tear from his eye, Adrien pulled Marinette into a tight embrace. “You know, it probably would have been less suspicious if you had said nothing.” He bit his tongue, stifling further laughter.

Marinette covered her mouth with both hands as he held her, and buried her face in his chest. She took several calming breaths before removing her hands and wrapping her arms around her boyfriend. “Hopefully if your dad is watching us he just thinks you’re comforting me while I cry. Oh my gosh… Shopkeep?” She cleared her throat as her amusement threatened to get the better of her once again. They both needed to calm down before going inside to have one of the scariest conversations of their lives.

Adrien let out a shuddering sigh as he tried desperately not to laugh more. “You have to know that when we’re not about to walk into a serious discussion with my father, I’m definitely going to bring that up again.”

Pulling back and staring at him with a look of mock offense, Marinette scoffed. “You better not, kitty.” Adrien grinned at her and a moment later she was pulled into a deep and passionate kiss.

When they heard Nathalie clear her throat, they quickly pulled apart and looked toward the front door.

“Good morning Miss Dupain-Cheng, I see you will be joining us for breakfast. Adrien, your father is waiting for you in the dining room.” Nathalie moved to the side as the young couple thanked her and walked in the front door.

Reality once again dawning on both of them, Adrien took Marinette’s hand and slowly led her to the dining room. As much as Adrien was dreading the conversation they were about to have, he was distracted upon entering the room by the uncharacteristic spread of appetizing breakfast foods gathered on one end of the table. His father looked up from his tablet and Adrien was astounded to see the corners of his mouth twitch upward, in what may have been the beginnings of a smile.

As they walked closer, Gabriel set his tablet down on the table and stood, stepping around the corner toward his son.

“Adrien. I’m glad your girlfriend could join us.” His attention turned to the girl, he tipped his head ever so slightly in acknowledgment. “Marinette, it’s lovely to see you again.”

Adrien had intended to respond, he really had, but the almost inviting atmosphere of the situation rendered him speechless. Luckily, Marinette stepped forward and spoke before the silence became awkward.

“It’s good to see you too, mons… Gabriel. I’m sorry for showing up uninvited, but thank you for being so accommodating.” She wasn’t sure shaking his hand was the most reasonable course of action, but she reached out a hand, hoping that she wasn’t simply making a fool of herself.

Gabriel took her hand in both of his, looking right into her eyes before gesturing toward the food. “Please, sit.”

As Gabriel and Marinette sat at the table, Adrien nervously glanced around the room to be sure Rod Serling wasn’t giving a monologue nearby. Having accidentally stepped into an alternate dimension seemed far more plausible than the way his father was acting.

After a few moments of Marinette giving him a confused and concerned look, Adrien sat as well, taking the chair between his girlfriend and his father sitting at the head of the table.

Marinette took a small croissant and poured herself some water, worried about eating too much, but not wanting to seem rude. “Thank you so much for this again, everything looks delicious.”

Adrien rubbed his suddenly sweaty palms on his thighs and avoided making eye contact with his father as he attempted to find the right words to broach the subject they were there to talk about.

“So what was it you wanted to discuss?” Gabriel asked amidst buttering his toast, as though reading Adrien’s mind.

In an effort to stall as he figured out what to say, Adrien started piling various foods on his plate. Should he just blurt it out? Should he start with how it happened? Should he…

“Adrien and I are planning on moving in together sometime in the next several months. We’re not in a huge rush, but that’s the plan.” Marinette took a small bite of her croissant and washed it down with a sip of her water, utterly astonished by the words that had just come out of her mouth. Knowing full well that it wasn’t the biggest truth bomb to drop, but hoping it would help get the ball rolling, Marinette snuck a quick peek at Adrien before refocusing her attention on Gabriel.

The greying fashion designer set his toast down on his plate and looked briefly at Marinette before switching to Adrien. “I assume you’ll wait until school is finished. Is there a reason for this?” His eyes narrowed slightly as he glowered at his son, trying not to lose his cool.

Adrien wasn’t sure what just happened. He took a large bite out of a piece of fruit while he stared blankly at his increasingly frustrated father. Determined to not let Marinette feel as though it was her responsibility to tell his father, he reached over without looking and took her hand, keeping his eyes on Gabriel all the while.

“You’re going to be a grandfather, and we want to raise the baby together.”

When Gabriel didn’t react with consternation as expected, Adrien wasn’t sure what to do. His father looked almost satisfied as he called Nathalie to his side and whispered something in her ear.

After blinking several times and glancing over to Marinette to see if she was just as confused as he was, Adrien cleared his throat to once again gain his father’s attention. “You uh… did hear me, didn’t you, Father?”

Gabriel looked back to Adrien, having been tapping at the screen of his tablet with Nathalie nodding next to him. “I did indeed. I suppose congratulations are in order.” He looked back to the tablet and continued relaying some sort of unseen message to Nathalie. “We’ll need to plan the best way to make your relationship slightly more visible to the public without revealing the pregnancy yet. And then of course there are more practical matters.”

Marinette squeezed Adrien’s hand. They had been anticipating certain topics, and they had decided the night before on their stance regarding them after a considerable amount of research. The ‘practical matters’ to which his father referred were things they had agreed to stand firm on together.

Gabriel hadn’t missed the exchange, but pressed forward anyway. “Nathalie will set up an appointment for Marinette to see a suitable doctor. Establishing paternity is much simpler and less dangerous than it used to be. Once that’s out of the way, we can plan for a wedding.” Gabriel went back to looking at his tablet with Nathalie and assumed that what he said would be the end of it for now.

“No.” The word fell from Adrien’s lips and a small, broken part of himself immediately wished he could take it back.

“Excuse me?” Gabriel looked up from the tablet once again and eyed his son. Next to him, Nathalie stood up straight and braced herself for Gabriel’s wrath.

With an encouraging squeeze from Marinette’s hand, Adrien found the fortitude to stand up for the plans they had made the night before. “We’ve decided to wait to get married, Father. Our relationship is still new and we want to take our time with it. Obviously moving in together is a big step, and having a baby is a big step, but…” All the reasoning they’d done the night before was starting to feel silly as he tried to explain himself to his father.

Gabriel looked as though he were going to offer a rebuttal, but Adrien cut him off, much to his father’s displeasure.

“As for the paternity test, we’re not doing it. I’m the father. I know I am. Marinette wouldn’t lie about that. I trust her.”

Marinette smiled weakly as Adrien made eye contact with her, until she noticed Gabriel’s eyes on her. Turning in her seat to more fully give him her attention, Marinette nodded. “I haven’t been with anyone else. This couldn’t possibly be someone else’s baby.”

Gabriel sighed deeply. “I’m not questioning your virtue, Miss Dupain-Cheng, but you must understand that the position Adrien is in does not allow for any uncertainties.” His voice was strained, and Nathalie and Adrien could both tell he was barely avoiding raising his voice.

Gabriel grit his teeth as he looked at his son. “If you won’t get married yet,” he paused to seeth and grip the arms of his chair tighter than necessary, “we’ll need to establish a timeline for your relationship. How long have you two been… involved?”

At the slightly confused look on the teenager’s faces, Nathalie briefly interjected. “How long have you been having sex?”

Clarifying their one and only forgotten sexual experience in the Montparnasse Tower in non-superhero terms had been one of the more embarrassing parts of their conversation with Plagg and Tikki the night before, but they did eventually find their way to something that felt believable.

“It was only once.” Marinette spoke softly. “It was the day of our field trip at the beginning of the school year and there was that memory-erasing akuma.” One of the points Plagg had made was that the more specific details should be glossed over, otherwise the story would sound more manufactured.

Marinette looked up and saw all eyes on her, waiting for her to continue.

“We remember getting shot at as we ducked into a closet, and the next thing we remember is being locked in that same closet alone together.” She made eye contact with her boyfriend, hoping that he could instill some confidence in her. “Luckily we didn’t have to wait long before someone came to let us out.”

The couple smiled at one another softly before Marinette continued. “I only just found out about the baby because… well, as far as I knew I had never been with anyone. I didn’t think it was possible.”

Gabriel pressed his fingers firmly against his face as he breathed deeply and thought. “Very well. If asked, you’ve been formally dating since the summer. Your shenanigans a few years ago put the two of you in the spotlight together, so some fans will recognize Marinette as having been a part of your life for a while.” Picking up his tablet once more, Gabriel tapped a few more times and handed the device to Nathalie. “Arrange for this to be expedited, and double security. I want it to seem as though they were taken a while ago. Photos are not to be leaked, and the photographer will need to sign a waiver.”

Nathalie nodded. “I’ll make sure of it.” She rushed off, pulling out her phone to make the necessary calls.

As his father turned back toward him, Adrien clung to Marinette’s hand. Despite the obvious frustration at Adrien’s unwillingness to go along with every plan, the conversation had gone quite nicely. They both had thought they’d have to do a lot more negotiating to get to the point of acceptance.

Gabriel finally served himself some breakfast other than his toast and began cutting his food in preparation before eating. “There’s an apartment building across the street. I’ll have Nathalie inquire about a suitable option for you both.”

“We’d actually like to live closer to the bakery Marinette’s parents own, as they’ll be more available to help with the baby if we need it.”

Gabriel looked up from his cutting and nodded once. “I suppose that can be arranged. However, I won’t have this interfering with your studies, Adrien. I expect that you put every bit as much effort into your commitments.”

Adrien grinned tentatively at his father, genuinely thrilled that he was taking it so well and was seemingly supportive of them. “Of course, Father. We both have every intention of following through on the plans we already had for our lives. We’ll just do it,” he glanced lovingly at Marinette, “as a family instead.” He turned back to his father. “In fact I’d like to stay with the company for longer than we had originally agreed. At least until I finish university and am ready to go into a different career.”

Gabriel took a bite of his food as he considered what he’d heard. He studied Marinette’s determined expression. “So you still intend to pursue fashion?” He watched as Marinette nodded enthusiastically. “I’m pleased to hear that. You have a lot of potential as a designer. It’s reassuring to hear that you’ve both considered the ramifications of your circumstance and intend to make the most of it.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes as Gabriel ate his meal and Adrien and Marinette picked at their food. When Gabriel finished, he sat back in his seat and considered the young couple before him. “I think you’ll find that at least an engagement may be necessary, if you want the media and Adrien’s admirers to be more understanding. Please consider it.”

Standing and pushing in his chair, Gabriel regarded them once again. “Finish your breakfast, it’s not long before you’ll both need to leave for the photo shoot.”

Marinette made eye contact with Adrien, both of them confused. “Both?”

Gabriel walked toward the doorway. “Yes. A very visible fashion campaign featuring the two of you is a necessary precursor to the world finding out about your child.” He left the room a moment later, not allowing for any objection.

The two teenagers looked worriedly at one another.

“I’m so sorry, I think my father was determined to get his way with at least one decision today.” Adrien leaned in close and brushed Marinette’s cheek with the back of his fingers. “Let’s table the engagement talk for now, but as for the shoot… If you don’t want to do it, I’ll tell him it’s not an option, but I think maybe he’s right.”

Marinette smiled and pressed her forehead against Adrien’s, closing her eyes. “I’m fine doing it. I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t have any other plans for today, huh?”

Adrien pressed his warm lips against hers and indulged in a sensual kiss. “Thank you. You’re more amazing than I deserve.”

“Same to you, Shopkeep.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve read a lot of ML fics with Marinette joining Adrien on a photo shoot, and I definitely did not intend to include the trope... but here we are.


	27. Ready for Anything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel reacts and plans. Marinette sees a side of Adrien’s life she hasn’t seen before.

“Aaagghh!” Gabriel yelled as he swept several items off the surface of his desk onto the floor. A moment later he flopped down into his desk chair dramatically. His glasses were knocked askew as he pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure.

Nathalie watched him, concern etched on her features as she quickly finished drafting an email to the photographer for that day’s photo shoot. Once it had been sent, she set down the tablet and walked over to Gabriel. Crouching down in front of him and placing a hand lightly on his knee, she sighed. “It’s not your fault, Gabriel. They may not have remembered who they were, but what happened is still a choice that… some version of them made. You didn’t force them to sleep together.”

Gabriel huffed angrily and looked away from Nathalie, straightening his glasses. He didn’t feel comforted at all by her words. He had been letting his grief consume him. It had been four years since he lost his wife, and he knew that his more recent akumas had imbued his victims and those they affected with too much power on occasion. This unintended consequence of Adrien and Marinette losing their memories as well as the way Lila took advantage of the power she had been given the previous day was too much for Gabriel to take in.

“I need to be more careful. I can’t let something like this happen again. If… if I could just get Chat Noir and Ladybug’s miraculous, I could get Emilie back and put it behind me. I wouldn’t have to…” Gabriel leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and burying his face in his hands.

Nathalie wrapped her arms around Gabriel as best as she could from her awkward position crouching in front of him. Laying her head against his leg, she struggled to find the right words to comfort him.

They stayed like that for a while, until Gabriel’s breathing had evened out and he removed his hands from his face. “Nathalie.”

She looked up at her boss, kneeling on the floor in front of him. He had tears in his eyes and looked so vulnerable, she felt like crying herself.

Gabriel took her hands in his and hung his head. “You have always stood by my side. These last four years, you’ve been the person I trust most in this world, and you’ve been loyal enough to indulge whatever I’ve asked of you. I owe you... everything.”

Letting go of one of his hands and lifting his chin so he was looking at her, Nathalie smiled at the man she loved and knew she would never have. “It’s my sincere pleasure, Gabriel. I would do anything for you.”

“I know. Thank you. Thank you for your advice. If I had gone with my first instinct and been more insistent with Adrien, I could very well have lost him today.” He tucked some hair behind Nathalie’s ear. “But Nathalie? As highly as I think of Miss Dupain-Cheng, and as much as I want to believe my son is not so easily duped, I can’t take any chances. Find a way to get a sample of Marinette’s blood.”

* * *

Adrien stepped out of the car and pulled Marinette out to join him. “Don’t be nervous. I’ll be with you the whole time and honestly, I don’t think it’s possible for a bad photo to be taken of you.” Nodding at his bodyguard in thanks and shutting the door, he hooked his elbow with Marinette’s and smiled sweetly at her.

Marinette stared at him, a nervous grimace on her face. “Clearly you haven’t seen my school ID.”

He chuckled and pulled her into a hug, pressing a kiss into her hair. “I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think it is.” He watched as Nathalie nodded at him, having been dropped off along with them. She turned and walked into the building, leaving them alone outside.

Placing his hands on Marinette’s shoulders and gently pushing her back so he could look at her face, Adrien frowned. “So… um… just so you know, I’ve done shoots at this venue a lot and as soon as we go in we’re going to get thrust into a cramped area together with some stylists and asked to strip.”

Marinette’s expression was unreadable as she nodded slowly.

Clearing his throat and nodding back, Adrien continued. “They’re professionals. They’re not there to stare at your body, they’re there to dress it and make it look beautiful.” He looked down, blushing slightly. “I mean, that involves staring at your body sometimes, but it’s not… it’s not sexual. Ugh, I’m not explaining this well.”

Marinette reached up and brushed Adrien’s hair out of his face, smiling softly. “It’s fine. I want to work in fashion, I get it. I just… thought I’d be the one dressing the naked models, not… well…”

Adrien peeked back up at his girlfriend. “Yeah… I know. There’s not a lot of privacy though, and we’ll be right next to each other, like I said. If you’re not comfortable, I might be able to ask them to put up a partition.”

Trying to look like the idea was no big deal to her, Marinette pulled away and grabbed his hand, turning toward the door of the building so he wouldn’t see the sudden redness of her cheeks. “No, that’s silly. I don’t want any special accommodations. We’re in a relationship, and we’ve been in a relationship since the summer, remember?” She reached out and placed her hand on the handle, pausing before she opened the door. “We’re having a baby together, Adrien. It would be really suspicious if we made a big show of not wanting to see each other naked.”

Before he could respond, Marinette pulled the door open and tugged Adrien inside behind her.

The room was large, but the majority of it was filled with lighting, backdrops, props, and other photography equipment. There were a couple of people standing next to the photographer, helping him set up the lighting to his preferences. A large area in the corner was sectioned off with curtains and Marinette yanked on Adrien’s arm, pulling him in that direction. She assumed he was being dramatic when he called the area cramped, but once she got closer, she realized that the large area was mostly filled with racks of designer clothes, swivel chairs belonging to the makeup artists, and large tables filled with various bottles and palettes of makeup, as well as sewing machines and jewelry Marinette was certain cost more than everything she would ever buy combined.

At the back of the space stood four people, laughing and talking with one another. Once one of them noticed the pair, the laughter stopped and they all turned to size up the couple.

“Adrien!” A small, older woman said. “Is this the girl?”

Adrien narrowed his eyes slightly. “What do you mean, _the girl?”_

A tall, thin, and incredibly well-groomed man shrugged his shoulders. “The one we all just had to sign documents stating we wouldn’t breathe a word about?”

Marinette looked over to her boyfriend, confused. Adrien, however, was a pro, and decided to roll with it.

“If you mean ‘is this my girlfriend and all-around love of my life’, then yes. This is Marinette.” Adrien kissed her gently on the cheek before walking over toward the group of stylists and shrugging off the jacket he was wearing, handing it to one of them. They all responded with a collective ‘aww’.

“Well if we can’t talk about her after this shoot, you better spill, honey.” The tall man was already walking toward Marinette. “Hello there, gorgeous. I’m Wes. Oh, you’ve got a great complexion.” He reached out and tugged one of the elastics out of her hair, letting it tumble over her shoulder. “And that hair! Why have you not been in my chair before?”

Adrien laughed heartily. “She’s a designer herself, that’s why.”

A younger, petite girl with curly brown hair walked up behind Marinette and pulled off her shirt before wrapping a measuring tape around her chest. “Oh Adrien. I’m sure she can speak for herself.”

Marinette shrugged. “Well, he’s right. Plus, I’ve never been one for the spotlight.”

Adrien snorted, thinking about his lady’s commanding presence.

The curly-haired stylist frowned down at the measurement, making a mental note of the adjustments she would have to make. Smiling back up at Marinette, she tipped her head slightly. “The name’s Cassia.” She walked back over to where the clothing rack was, grabbing a dress and leaning over to whisper in Adrien’s ear. “Your girlfriend’s got quite the rack.” She winked at him and carried the dress to one of the tables to make some last-minute changes.

Adrien blushed, glad he was facing away from Marinette and her diminished state of dress. The older woman fussing with the buttons on his shirt laughed when she saw the red of her young friend’s cheeks. “So tell us, young Agreste, how long have you and this Marinette been dating?”

Adrien had been not only ready for this question, but excited to answer it. He and Marinette had discussed it for a few minutes as they got ready to leave for the shoot, but he’d been daydreaming about their manufactured backstory and had embellished a little on top of what they had agreed on.

He sighed dreamily, a big smile on his face. “We’ve been officially together since the beginning of the summer, but we’ve been in love for a lot longer. Since we were thirteen.”

The one woman who had yet to speak laughed. “You were babies! It’s good you didn’t get into a relationship that young, you needed to grow up a little first.” She was standing in the corner, picking through a box of nail polish before she found the ones she wanted.

“You’re not wrong,” Adrien continued as he removed his shoes and socks “we were really immature when we first met, but it was a bit like love at first sight for me. Watching her come into her own, struggling to build her self-confidence, and then not only finding it, but thriving in it? I was smitten from day one. Marinette is so amazing and always has a solution to a problem. But she’s also incredibly compassionate and humble.”

“Wow, Marinette,” the woman with the nail polish exclaimed, “so you’re the reason this sweet boy always turns down the other models’ advances.” She walked over to Marinette and held the few bottles up against Marinette’s pale skin, her own dark complexion in stark contrast. She noticed that Marinette was still wearing everything but her shirt and raised an eyebrow. “You need to finish getting undressed, hon.”

Marinette snapped back to reality and nodded, her cheeks hot. She started unbuttoning her pants as she looked down at the floor. “Thanks, sorry, I just haven’t done this before. What was your name?”

“Octavia. It’s very nice to meet you finally.”

Marinette slipped off her shoes as she dropped her pants. “Finally?”

Octavia laughed as she walked back to the other side of the room to finish setting up her station. “Yep. Adrien’s been talking about the girl he’s in love with for years now. I’m glad to see you two finally together, though I’m surprised he didn’t mention it sooner.” She eyed Adrien suspiciously. “You’ve been together for months and still it was the same old ‘she’s so amazing’?”

Adrien chuckled nervously. “Well, she is. And we had unintentionally danced around each other’s feelings for so long, I wasn’t about to jinx it by talking about it. Plus, Marinette wasn’t ready to have the paparazzi in her face.”

The older woman, who had been steaming Adrien’s pants, walked over to him and looked him up and down. He was only in his boxer briefs by that point and ready to be dressed. “That was smart, let your relationship find its own rhythm first without the stress of public opinion. Though I suppose this shoot is the beginning of bringing you both into the spotlight together?”

Adrien nodded as she double checked the measurements of his chest, waist, and hips.

“And I suppose there’s a good reason for the change?” She pushed her glasses up her nose before dropping to her knees and measuring Adrien’s inseam. She stood, writing a quick note on her hand before giving the model an incredulous look.

Scratching at the back of his neck, Adrien grinned and sighed. “Seriously, Madoka, are you psychic or something?” He glanced hesitantly over at Marinette before quickly averting his eyes when he saw that she was only wearing a bra and underwear. She hadn’t seen him looking, and he didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. “Marinette. Madoka always knows when I’m not telling the whole truth. They’re sworn to secrecy… do you want to tell them?”

Having finished the adjustments on the dress, Cassia brought it over to Marinette and held it near the floor for her to step into.

Marinette stepped into the dress and Cassia carefully pulled it up her body, slowing as she got to her abdomen. She studied the slight curve of Marinette’s belly before looking up at Madoka. “I think I found your ‘good reason’.”

Madoka abandoned Adrien’s side and went to inspect Marinette’s recent body changes. “Ah… that explains it.”

Wes and Octavia dropped what they were doing and hurried over to ogle at the tiny baby bump and swollen breasts that indicated Marinette’s pregnancy as well.

Wes let out a low whistle as he looked back and forth between the two attractive parents-to-be. “Dang girl, get it. Way to lock that boy down.”

Marinette rolled her eyes and turned to stare at the back of Adrien’s head, hardly registering that she was seeing him in his underwear. “Are they always like this?”

Adrien turned to look at her with a sheepish look on his face. “Yeah. I’m afraid so. It’s all in good fun though. They love me.”

Octavia rushed to Adrien’s side and wrapped her arms around him. “Of course we do! Aww, baby boy’s gonna be a daddy!”

Adrien returned the hug and smiled at Marinette over Octavia’s shoulder.

Cassia lifted the dress up to the bottom of Marinette’s chest before stopping to quickly unhook her bra and remove it from her arms.

Marinette and Adrien both let out a gasp as he spun around to face the other direction, still hugging Octavia. She definitely noticed that he saw that time.

None of the stylists missed the odd reaction but after they all took a moment to make eye contact with one another, they collectively decided not to address it. Cassia finished pulling the strapless dress up over Marinette’s chest, making some quick adjustments and smiling at her apologetically. “Sorry Marinette, I hadn’t realized until that moment that your bra straps weren’t removable.”

Marinette had found a spot on the ceiling to stare at as she silently willed her cheeks to return to a normal color. “It’s fine! No… no big deal.”

Before walking away, Octavia leaned close to Adrien and grinned wide. “I don’t know, Adrien. Looks like exactly two big deals if you ask me.” The look of horror on Adrien’s face made the comment more than worth it.

Madoka shook her head in mock disappointment and handed Adrien his clothes to put on, trusting that he knew what to be careful of. “First of three outfits for you two. We’ll make adjustments on the others while you’re working with Vincent.”

The small team of stylists adorned the couple with accessories and made them up to perfection, teasing them with witty quips and comments on their upcoming life as parents all the while. Once they were told they were finished, they stood and looked at one another.

“Wow. Marinette… you look stunning.” Adrien looked her up and down, admiring the way the soft pink empire waist tulle dress flowed and complimented her skin tone beautifully. The dress ended just below her knee and was accented adorably by soft grey ballet flats. The sweetheart neckline drew attention to her chest without being obscene.

“Hell yeah, she does.” Wes high-fived Cassia. “We killed it, Cass.”

“Hey, I did her nails!” Octavia interjected.

Marinette’s hair was pulled into an intricate side braid that cascaded down the side of her neck, and her makeup was so natural looking that Adrien wouldn’t have believed she was wearing any if he hadn’t seen Wes applying it out of the corner of his eye.

Adrien’s outfit was complimentary. A pair of grey slacks, black short-sleeved button-up shirt, and a pink bow tie that matched Marinette’s dress. A grey pork pie hat and pink boat shoes finished off the look.

The sound of Nathalie clearing her throat made them all turn. “Adrien, we need to hurry this along. I have to have the photos to editing by this afternoon. Please don’t dawdle.” She looked visibly stressed, and seemed to be purposely avoiding looking in Marinette’s direction.

Adrien reached out and took Marinette’s hand before following Nathalie back out toward his regular photographer. He was worried about the way Nathalie was acting, but didn’t want to alert his girlfriend and make her even more nervous. He looked over at her and smiled warmly, squeezing her hand. “Are you ready? I think this is going to be fun.”

Marinette returned the smile and leaned her head against his shoulder for a moment. “As long as you’re by my side, I’m ready for anything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh goodness. A few things...
> 
> Generally, I don’t care much for OCs in Miraculous fics, so I was super hesitant to write some in. They’re a means to an end, and I kind of like them, and their banter was fun to write, so hopefully it doesn’t bother anyone too much.
> 
> I feel weird describing clothes? I like their outfits in my head, so let’s hope your mental image matches my own.
> 
> Merry Christmas to any and all who celebrate it, and Happy Wednesday to those of you who don’t. :)


	28. Just Following Instructions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Adrien are at the mercy of their photographer and enabling stylists.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter gets a little hot and heavy, but the tags remain in force!
> 
> Also, describing outfits still feels weird.
> 
> First chapter of 2020! 🙌🏻

Adrien hoisted Marinette further up on his back and turned his head to place a soft peck on her lips. Vincent had insisted on the piggyback pose, but the two found they both enjoyed it thoroughly. Marinette snuggled into the crook of his neck and breathed him in, her arms draped lazily down his chest and her fingers loosely entwined.

“Magnifico! You two are perfection!” He lowered his camera for just a moment, scrutinizing the young couple. His face brightened as he had an idea. “This time with a bit more sex appeal, yes?”

Adrien had anticipated such a direction, but assumed his girlfriend had not. He turned his head once more so he could whisper in her ear. “Just… pretend it’s only me here with you.” Leaning forward slightly so he could hold the bulk of her weight with his lower body, he adjusted his grip on the underside of her knees and slowly slid his hands up her thighs, hiking up her tulle skirt in the process. “Just follow my lead.”

Marinette blushed slightly at the tender, intimate touch. She let herself revel in the feeling for a moment before remembering that they had instructions, and she was supposed to do something. She placed her hands flat on his chest and made a show of feeling his muscles. Not that it was entirely for the camera. In response, Adrien rubbed his temple against hers in an extremely cat-like manner.

Nipping experimentally at Adrien’s ear, Marinette heard repeated clicks from Vincent’s camera and looked over to see him moving closer.

“Bravo! Very nice.” Vincent took several more shots before lowering his camera and smiling at them. “Hold on to this feeling of passion while you go get changed, the next is to be much more intimate.” He walked off to discuss the set changes with one of his assistants.

Adrien set Marinette down on the floor and led her off to the side before he turned to face her. “Are you okay? That was getting a little intense for a minute there, and I know Vincent. He’s just getting started down this… uh…” He shrugged at his already-blushing girlfriend. “Sex… path.”

Marinette chuckled nervously as she tucked her hair behind her ear. “Yeah, I figured.” She looked intently into his eyes and placed a hand gently on his arm. “Are you okay? I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed by this either. If anything is too far, we can just do something else, okay? Don’t force yourself.”

When he didn’t respond and instead looked away, Marinette wrapped her arms around him. “It’s okay. I won’t be offended, and… who cares what anyone else thinks? Just promise me that you will tell me if you’re uncomfortable?”

Adrien tipped up her chin with the side of his index finger and kissed her softly. “I promise.” He grinned. “Now remember. Passion.” Kissing her fiercely once more, he abruptly pulled away and hauled her with him toward the dressing area.

Cassia was the first to see them. “Dang, you two. You’ve got some serious chemistry.”

“No kidding. You were looking hot as hell.” Wes rifled through some of his darker eyeshadow palettes, finalizing his choices for their next look. He smirked at Marinette and gestured toward his chair. “Sit, babe. We need to clean you up before you get changed.”

Marinette and Adrien both sat as Octavia and Wes cleaned the makeup off of their faces, necks, and, in Marinette’s case, shoulders and chest.

“So what are the next outfits we’re wearing?” Marinette looked to Cassia, who was slipping the flats off of her feet as Wes finished cleaning her up.

Cassia grinned. “Black. Lots of black.” She stood and pulled Marinette to her feet, spinning her around so she could unzip the back of her pink dress.

Adrien noticed just quickly enough to stand and turn away before Marinette was once again exposed. Fumbling in an attempt to remove his bowtie, he tried to look natural and not like he was trying desperately not to remember the brief view he’d gotten of Marinette’s bare chest earlier.

Madoka pulled his shaky hands away and untied his bowtie for him, staring him down as she reached up to undo his shirt buttons. “So are you going to finally tell us the truth, young Agreste?”

Adrien huffed in annoyance and turned his head away from Madoka, only to be met with Wes’ knowing smirk. “You don’t exactly hide it well, hon. You don’t have to be Madoka to be able to tell that something is up.”

While Cassia finished lacing the bodice Marinette now wore, Adrien made eye contact with his girlfriend. He nodded at her, trying to convey his trust and his desire to be honest. Well, at least more honest. Hesitantly, Marinette nodded back. A wide smile spread across Adrien’s face. Years of trusting one another and communicating silently as Chat Noir and Ladybug had seemed to translate into their relationship, and he couldn’t be more excited about it.

“Okay. You got us.” Adrien scratched at the back of his head. “I wasn’t lying when I said we’d been in love with each other for years, or that we’re committed to one another. But, truth is… we haven’t been together for as long as we’re telling people. My father wants our relationship to sound more established, and less like the first thing we did was make a baby together.”

“Oooh, you naughty children. See, was that so hard?” Octavia perched on the edge of one of the tables and grinned at Marinette. “Actually, nevermind. I think I know the answer.”

Cassia snorted and Wes laughed, but Madoka kept staring Adrien down as he changed his pants. He gazed over at Marinette, who was blushing and watching as Cassia finished buttoning her overshirt and adjusted her layered black skirt. Looking back at Madoka who had a quizzical look on her face, he silently begged her not to keep pressing for answers. After a few moments of their unobserved battle, Madoka relented and handed Adrien the next shirt for him to put on.

“I suppose that explains the last minute changes and the crazy timetable Nathalie was yelling about while you were working with Vincent. I suggest pictures of the two of you together on your social media pages as well.” Madoka handed Adrien his socks and shoes, once again glad that he was enough of a veteran to handle his own dressing. He wouldn’t crease anything or tie his shoes unevenly like some less experienced models.

Wes snatched Adrien’s bag up off the floor. “Is your phone in here?” When Adrien nodded, he dug around and pulled it out. “Subterfuge is my specialty, my dear. First, we’ll get some behind-the-scenes shots of you two. After this campaign goes live and everyone has seen Vincent’s work, you post a couple of the two of you being completely adorable along with our good friend, hashtag tbt.” His legendary smirk adorned his face as he set down Adrien’s bag and began snapping photos.

“That’s actually pretty brilliant, Wes.” Marinette moved closer to Adrien, kissing him on the cheek.

Madoka snatched the phone out of Wes’ hands once he’d gotten a couple shots of the cute scene. “Okay, I’ll take them now. They’re dressed, so you have work to do.”

* * *

Once they were done up and a sufficient amount of behind-the-scenes photos were taken, Adrien and Marinette walked out to find what looked like the corner portion of a large sectional sofa topped with pillows laid out for their shoot. Everything was white, a stark contrast to their all-black outfits. Nearby, a very annoyed Nathalie was tapping both her foot and her finger on her tablet.

Before Adrien could ask her what was wrong, she was stomping off toward the stylists. He would have to explain the delay later, she was obviously stressed about how long they’d taken.

“Va bene. You two, on the sofa. Adrien, back in the corner. Marinette, bella, on top, on your knees, facing him. Trust me, and don’t be nervous.” Vincent checked his lenses as Adrien glanced nervously at his girlfriend, his heart suddenly increasing in tempo.

He did as he was told, settling into the corner of the couch, his long legs barely able to touch the floor when he sat back.

“Non buono. Adrien, you look like a child. Your feet need to be planted on the floor. You are in the throes of passion, not watching television.” Vincent pulled the palm of his hand down his cheek as he considered. “Stand back up. We will simply have to put you in the right frame of mind.”

Adrien stood, walking over to Marinette. She looked incredibly appealing, and focusing on her put him more at ease. She was wearing a fitted black bodice that laced up in the back and accentuated her chest, a short black layered skirt, and an asymmetrical, collared button-up over the top of both that was longer in the back and was buttoned up just to the underside of her breasts. Her hair had been pinned back on one side, but had otherwise been left loose. Aside from the simple black sneakers (with the Gabriel brand butterfly symbol in silver) she’d been given to wear, her only adornments were a black ribbon tied around her wrist and her signature black earrings. Her eye makeup was darker, edgier, but still minimal.

“This is not the first time you two have been intimate. Your desire is not diminished, however. At this point it’s practiced, and you know what you like… and what you want.” Vincent gestured with one hand as he spoke, his camera in the other, ready to start shooting.

Marinette crossed her arms and rubbed her elbows, unsure. “Sorry, what?”

Adrien moved closer to her and cupped her cheek with his hand. Grinning, he leaned in and kissed her gently, his voice barely a whisper. “He’s giving us a scenario. Setting the stage.” He pulled her hands away from her arms and placed them on his chest. “Just listen. It’s acting, you just have to pretend like it’s the truth.”

Marinette tugged gently at the zipper of the black hoodie Adrien was wearing. Underneath was a v-neck black t-shirt that hugged the lean muscle of his torso. He was wearing black jeans with a black leather belt, and shoes that matched her own. Cassia wasn’t kidding when she said ‘lots of black’. Plagg must be proud.

Thinking about his words, Marinette realized that despite the fact that they had not yet been intimate, she knew what she wanted. The hardest part wouldn’t be letting herself get into it, it would be keeping it appropriate for the cameras. She gathered the fabric of Adrien’s jacket in her fists and pulled him down for a passionate kiss.

What she was not expecting was for Adrien to run his hands down her back, briefly over her butt, and pull her up against his body by her thighs. She quickly recovered, deepening their kiss and wrapping her legs tightly around his waist, locking her ankles at his back. Running her hands firmly up his chest, she slowly wrapped her arms around his neck as she bit down gently on his lip.

A soft groan escaped Adrien’s lips as he pulled Marinette tighter against him, his hands pressed against her back. The involuntary reaction caused them both to blush slightly as he tilted his head and began kissing her neck, eliciting the same response from her. The sound was alluring, and Adrien wanted to hear more of it. He made the mistake of looking over her shoulder for a moment and saw Cassia, Wes, and Octavia all staring, mouths agape, as they watched a side of Adrien they’d never seen before.

In an effort to put Marinette in a position that would lessen the feeling of being watched, Adrien decided to go with Vincent’s earlier suggestion. He took his time sliding his hands back down her body and under her thighs as he continued to kiss her neck and jaw. Holding up her weight so she could unhook her ankles, Adrien lowered himself slowly onto the sofa, placing her knees on either side of his legs.

Marinette’s heart was racing. She tried to ignore the fact that pictures were being taken one after the other of everything they were doing, and simply focus on the gorgeous boy she was with. She gave him a lingering kiss before sitting up further on his legs and unzipping his hoodie the rest of the way. As she tugged on the sleeves and removed it from his body, she and Adrien were both momentarily startled.

“Magnifico! Yes! Keep going, my beauties!” Vincent moved in slightly closer, snapping photo after photo.

Determined not to lose her momentum, Marinette kissed Adrien fiercely once again and shoved him backward so he was laying against the pillows behind him. She ran her hands up and down his sides as she stared at him with intensity in her eyes. Biting her lip and reveling in the surprise on his face, she trailed her fingers lightly across his stomach and started undoing his belt.

Adrien fought the urge to cover his mouth, and desperately wished that what they were doing was behind a closed… and locked… door. This was for the camera, after all. He forced his hands to stop shaking as he reached forward and began unbuttoning her overshirt, pulling it off of her arms and casting it aside just as she finished with his belt.

“Bravo innamorati, very passionate!” He lowered his camera and walked over to speak with his assistant about the next set changes as Marinette and Adrien were left staring at each other, partially undressed and breathing heavily.

“Umm..” Adrien blushed and looked past her, where Octavia and the others were making lewd gestures with their hands. “I think they’re waiting for us.”

Marinette turned around and just missed Cassia thrusting her hips forward, the three meddling stylists suddenly acting nonchalant. “Oh. Yeah.” She lifted herself off of his lap and stood, holding out a hand to help him up. “Yeah, I guess we should go get out of these clothes.” Her blush quickly overtook her face and Adrien nearly fell as she pulled her hand away before he was fully to his feet. “I mean… We should go get changed!”

Adrien took a moment to regain his composure as he watched Marinette walk away unsteadily. After a moment he noticed that she had undone the button on his jeans before Vincent had shut them down and composure once again became a thing of the past. He excused himself to the bathroom as Marinette rejoined the stylists.

“Hot damn, girl. You got that boy all hot and bothered.” Wes helped steady her as he led her over to the chair to sit down. He smirked. “Looks like he’s not the only one.”

Marinette covered her face with her hands. “We were just doing what Vincent told us to do.”

Cassia came up behind Marinette and placed her hands on her shoulders. “Uh huh, sure you were.”

Octavia pulled one of Marinette’s hands away from her face and began cleaning off the silver nail polish she’d used with the second outfit. “You do know what he went to the bathroom to do, right?”

“Oh my… what? No, he’s just…” Marinette stammered, trying to find a different explanation.

Madoka walked up and stood right in front of the four of them. “Enough, stop torturing the poor girl.” She smiled sweetly at Marinette, who sighed gratefully. “Just let her up so she can go help him finish.”

The other three stylists burst out in raucous laughter, and Marinette hung her head in shame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I laughed A LOT while writing this chapter. 😂


	29. Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The remainder of the shoot, we bid farewell to our stylist group, at least for now.

“He could have put his sparkly hands on my CHEESE, Adrien!” Plagg whined loudly, hovering next to the bathroom mirror.

Adrien gripped the sides of the sink tightly with his hands and seethed. “Be quiet, Plagg! Someone could hear you. No one’s touching your precious cheese. Just be glad you weren’t in the bag.”

“You’re setting a dangerous precedent, letting just anyone dig around i—“ Plagg was cut off as Tikki covered his mouth.

“Enough out of you. It’s fine. You’re fine. Your cheese is fine.” She rolled her eyes at him and offered Adrien an apologetic smile. “Sorry Adrien, I know you didn’t come in here to be bombarded with complaints from this pain in the neck.”

Plagg pulled back and pouted at Tikki, crossing his tiny arms.

“It’s fine.” Adrien’s words came out a little more exasperatedly than he had intended and he sighed. “Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind.” He turned on the water and leaned forward, cupping his hands and filling them so he could wash his face.

Tikki flew down and sat on the back of the sink. “I know. Marinette does too. You’re both under a lot of pressure, and you’ve been through a lot lately.” She waited until he had splashed water on his face a second time before continuing. “Trust me though, once you’ve gotten past these initial awkward changes, you two are going to be so happy together.”

Adrien pulled a couple of paper towels from the dispenser on the wall and dried his wet face. His gaze fell on the small red kwami and he smiled. “Thanks Tikki. I really hope you’re right. I love her. More than anything.”

“Adrien!” A loud pounding on the door startled him as the kwamis hid and Nathalie opened the bathroom door. “You need to hurry. This last change needs to be quick, I have to get these photos to the editor, and then to the publisher, and—“ She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and sighed. “Nevermind, it’s not your concern. Please, just be quick.”

Adrien rushed over to the door and put a hand on Nathalie’s arm as she turned to leave. “Wait. Nathalie. Are you alright?”

Nathalie nodded and forced a small smile. “I’m fine, Adrien. Let’s just get through this quickly, and then if Miss… if Marinette would care to join you,” she held up her tablet to show a previously undiscovered break in his schedule, “you can take her out for lunch.” She turned and left before he could ask any more questions.

Adrien turned and looked at Tikki and Plagg, who were peeking out from behind the bathroom sink. “You should find somewhere safe to watch, Tikki. I know you don’t usually get to come to these. Plagg tends to sleep the whole time.”

Tikki popped up excitedly and winked. “Oh, don’t worry. We’ve both been watching.”

The evil grin on Plagg’s face made Adrien blush. He had hoped to go back to Marinette calm. So much for that. He couldn’t keep putting it off. Pushing the door open, he made his way toward the changing area.

“—omise me you won’t say anything to him?” Adrien heard the tail end of Marinette’s sentence and walked into their sectioned-off area to see her pinky linked with Madoka’s. No one was looking at him, so he decided to wait a few moments before alerting them.

“Hey guys, sorry that took so long.” He stepped forward confidently and made his way over to Cassia. “I know we’re in a hurry, per Nathalie’s orders.”

Octavia gave him a knowing look and Wes smirked as he applied Marinette’s mascara.

Adrien started to take off his clothes as he looked over at Marinette. She was already in her next outfit, a pair of light grey slacks with a pale pink blouse, tucked in, but left partially unbuttoned, showing a black silk camisole underneath. Her hair was up in a loose bun, and she looked like she’d just finished a long day of work at the office.

“This campaign certainly has a color theme.” Adrien sat and slipped his pants the rest of the way off, handing them to Cassia.

“That. It. Does.” Madoka emphasized each word as she focused on a last-minute adjustment to the hem of Marinette’s slacks. “Sorry, Cassia will have to hand you your clothes. Marinette and I have been bonding.”

“Yep, sorry Agreste. You’ve been replaced. Your better half is our new favorite.” Octavia smiled at him and ran her fingers through his hair a couple times, trying to decide on the best way to style it for this shoot.

Taking his next pair of pants from Cassia, pink this time, Adrien looked back over to Marinette. “That’s fair. She’s incredible. Speaking of which, Mari, would you like to have lunch after this? Turns out I have nowhere to be for a while.” He pulled on his pants as Cassia methodically handed him his next article of clothing; a white dress shirt.

Marinette was staring up at the ceiling while Wes applied eyeliner and smudged it slightly to make it look like she’d been wearing it all day. Adrien wasn’t sure she’d heard him when she finally spoke. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

Having expected a bit more enthusiasm, Adrien furrowed his brow, taking the grey tie Cassia handed him. He turned away from Marinette, wondering what she could have meant when she asked Madoka not to ‘say anything to him’ as he popped his collar and wrapped the tie around his neck. He felt like he should say something, but wasn’t sure what. Instead he just focused on getting dressed so they could get the rest of this shoot over with.

Cassia rolled up the sleeves of Adrien’s dress shirt as Octavia applied minimal makeup to his face. He seemed upset, and they made eye contact with one another, both wondering if it was because of their teasing. As soon as they were finished, Adrien pulled on his grey suede dress shoes and followed Marinette as she walked out for their final shoot, still not looking at him.

“Ah, our young lovers!” Vincent guided them toward their final positions, smiling. “We are so close to being finished, and this will be all about your enduring love.” He gave Marinette a wry smile. “We leave the passion for another time, bella.”

Marinette blushed furiously. Maybe she had taken it too far. She didn’t want to think too hard about that right now. She turned away, hoping that neither Vincent nor Adrien had seen the intense red of her cheeks.

Adrien watched her hide away again, feeling more and more concerned. He wasn't sure if she was just embarrassed about the last shoot or if he had done something wrong… or maybe it was something that happened while he went to the bathroom to calm down.

A single stool was set up near them and Vincent gestured toward it, asking Adrien to sit.

Feeling increasingly uneasy about the shoot, Adrien perched on the edge of the stool as he watched Vincent give Marinette instructions. Moments later she moved close to him, reaching out to tug on the knot of his tie, loosening it from his neck. Adrien’s hands automatically moved out to rest on the sides of her torso. He finally dared to look into her eyes and she was still focused on his shirt, now undoing the first couple of buttons. The action wasn’t filled with the same intensity as when they were pulling clothes off of one another in the last shoot. It was methodical. Subdued, even. No racing of hearts or heavy breathing.

Adrien wasn’t really listening to Vincent, he was just worried about Marinette. She had been avoiding eye contact with him, acting uneasy. Much to his surprise, since he hadn’t been listening, Marinette leaned in and rested her forehead against his, wrapping her hands lightly around the sides of his neck, her thumbs gently caressing his cheeks and earlobes. Her eyes fluttered closed, and Adrien’s followed suit. His instinct was to tighten his grip on her and pull her in closer, so that’s exactly what he did. He hoped it fit with whatever instruction Vincent might have been giving him.

At that point in his life, Adrien had done hundreds, if not thousands of photo shoots. He’d been partnered with a lot of girls and even women older than himself. He’d done shoots where he’d been half naked, even a couple where he wore nothing but underwear and body paint. None of those shoots had been half as intimate as the poses he’d shared with Marinette. His thoughts were completely consumed by her, and without thinking, he gently kissed her soft lips.

Instead of leaning into the kiss, Marinette moved away, pulling him out of his absent-mindedness. He opened his eyes and only saw her as she turned away from him, a somber expression darkening her countenance.

“Adrien. Are you here with us, bello?”

Adrien’s head snapped up, coming back to reality. “Sorry Vincent. What did you say?”

“Stand up, we need to adjust the stool.”

“Oh. Sorry.” He quickly stood as an assistant moved to reposition the metal stool.

Marinette came over then, carefully lifting herself up onto the now rather tall stool. She nearly slipped and he managed to reach out in time to steady her, smiling at her when he caught her eye.

“Thank you.” Marinette managed, going silent again immediately after.

She looked so unhappy, Adrien thought. Or nervous? He was having trouble reading her. Luckily he wasn’t too lost in thought when Vincent told him what to do, and he walked around Marinette, coming up behind her.

Marinette was only half-focused on what was happening around her. She felt she had made a fool of herself, getting so heated in the previous shoot. Madoka and the others had bombarded her with questions as soon as Adrien had left to… she pushed the thought from her mind.

She had had to give them something, because they still knew something was up, so she told them about moving in together and being hesitant to get married simply because their parents would want them to. Then she told them that if she didn’t feel so strongly about not rushing Adrien, she would marry him that very day. She loved him. With all of her heart. He was everything she wanted, and finding out he was Chat only deepened how sure she was of that.

They shared a trust and a way of silently communicating and predetermining one another’s needs that she was sure most people would be jealous of. As she felt his arms entwine around her waist, she smiled softly to herself. Maybe she should just tell him. They didn’t have to actually go through with it right away, but at least he would be aware of how she felt. She clung to his arms, pulling them tighter around herself as she leaned back into his chest, turning her head so she could nuzzle his neck.

Adrien kissed her forehead and closed his eyes, breathing her in. “Are you okay? You seemed upset.”

They pulled away from one another as Vincent had her turn more towards him and Marinette looked up into his eyes as he tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear. She smiled, assuaging many of his fears. “I’m alright, kitty. I just…” Vincent asked them to kiss softly so they took a moment to do as they were told. “I’m just worried about how risqué those photos are going to look.”

Marinette continued to follow Vincent’s instructions, turning her body the rest of the way to face Adrien, her knees pressed against the sides of his hips as her hands found a place on his chest. She blushed slightly, their current position not helping her embarrassment over their previously photographed intimacy.

Reaching forward to cup her red cheeks, Adrien leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, his eyes closed once again. After Vincent seemed satisfied, he pulled back and looked his girlfriend in the eye. “They’re professionals, Marinette. It will be more tasteful than you think. You have nothing to be embarrassed about.” He leaned forward again and rubbed the tip of his nose against hers and they smiled sweetly at one another. That one was just for them, but they heard the click of Vincent’s camera lens all the same.

Adrien still had some concerns about what he had overheard, but for the time being, he just wanted to make her feel safe and confident.

After a few more quick poses, Vincent announced he was finished, that they were perfection, and gave them each a quick hug.

“Adrien, this was your best work yet.” He turned to Marinette. “Marinette. Promise me you will allow me to photograph you again. You are magnifico, mia bella.”

Marinette smiled and nodded, waving as he walked away, Nathalie hot on his heels.

* * *

“You better text me, girl. You. Me. Spa day.” Wes side-eyed Adrien. “I suppose he could come too, but you’re the one that needs some serious pampering.”

Octavia and Cassia began inviting themselves, and their conversation quickly devolved into sexual innuendo and baby names.

Startled by a touch on his arm, he turned to see Madoka looking at him with love and concern. “Adrien, you shouldn’t be so worried. That girl loves you and respects your needs more than you could possibly know. She’s not going anywhere as long as you play your cards right.” Her expression turned more serious. “If you mess it up, I’m choosing her side, so just don’t. That baby will know their Auntie Madoka, and you two will be fantastic parents.”

Adrien smiled. “I’ll do my best not to screw it up.”

“Good, now go.”

Marinette gave all four stylists one more hug before rushing to Adrien’s side. “So… is this going to be that date you promised me?”

A touch of pink adorned Adrien’s cheeks when he thought of when he had insisted on a date. She had wanted to get past the initial awkwardness of having sex because they’d technically been together already, and he had told her they could take it slow and he wanted to at least take her on a proper date first. Plus, Alya had been asleep in the room, so waiting had without a doubt been the right choice. Now he wondered if she would have that expectation after lunch.

“Well, I suppose it will be our first date, but it’s just lunch.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I want to take you on a nicer date than this.”

They walked together out of the building, heading to where Adrien’s bodyguard waited for them in the car. Marinette turned to him, grinning. “This was a lot of fun, despite how nerve wracking it was too.”

Adrien marveled at her, admiring the sincerity in her smile. “We should probably see Fu soon, since we’re officially done telling our parents.”

“Can it wait until tomorrow?”

Plagg’s whine chimed up immediately. “Yes. It can. Tikki and I are starving. Food first.”

Marinette and Adrien both laughed, the latter opening the car door for her to enter. “After you, my lady.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was feeling kind of burnt out on writing this, but managed to get this chapter out. I actually started writing another fic that took up a bit of my time as well, sorry. I haven’t posted that one at all yet (as of Jan 9, 2020), trying to focus on getting the rest of Unburdened up for now. Chances are that by the time this one is over, I’ll already have several chapters of the other story ready to post. You can blame my insatiable word lust.


End file.
